House of the Holy Chapters 1 to 5
by Horosha
Summary: Chapter 1: What happens when the Sailor Senshi discover a fanfic that leads them down the road of temptation and seduction. Chapter 2-5: What happens when the Sailor Senshi need some help when the moon raises upon a friend.
1. Default Chapter

Story Title: Temptation and Seduction

Series Title: House Of The Holy

By Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" is the property of Troy "Silver" Stanton. This is here because several of the concepts I'm going to use in this series originated with Troy and his wonderful series. Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts can be found 

My e-mail addresses 

Forward: This series will be a strange one for many readers, especially since the first installment has the Sailor Senshi reviewing and critiquing a Sailor Moon fanfic series they found on the Internet. Their exposure to this fanfic leads them down the path of temptation and seduction.

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult scenes, minors should get parental permission before reading this series.

Copyright: August 19, 2004

Timeline: This takes place just after Sailor Moon Stars, Usagi is engaged to Mamoru but they haven't married.

Hikawa Shrine

The scarlet lights of dusk cut through the elongated shadows of its creation, in dark shades it painted the people heading home from school, work or some other place, except for the blue-haired girl rushing up the stairs of the Hikawa Shrine.

"God, I'm late!" visible wisps of cold breath accompanied the girl's words, mentally she admonished, 'if only I didn't get into that discussion with Ryo-kun about inter-dimensional travel,' then her cold reddened cheeks darken when she remembered why she didn't want to leave him.

It was only a few more minutes before she reached the combination study and strategy room the Sailor Senshi had set up in the shrine's living quarters, and Ami tried to calm herself down as she slid the door open, her face chagrined and her apology in soft tones, "I'm so sorry, everyone, for being late!"

Everyone looked up at Ami from their seated positions around the low table, but before she could add anything more, Rei frowned at her and said, "I thought the world was coming to an end, Usagi coming early to a study session and you coming late."

"What was it, Ami-chan," the Goddess-of-Love look was on Minako's bright face, "you find Ryo-kun more interesting to 'be with' than your study buddies?"

'Leave it to Minako to divine the truth,' only the winter evening kept Ami's friends from seeing the truth on her face plus Makoto came to her rescue, "Give it a rest, Minako-chan, at least Ami-chan has a steady squeeze, unlike someone we both know."

"I have a boyfriend," Minako looked upside-down at Makoto so she could give the ginger-haired girl a dirty look.

"Sure you do, Minako-chan, every young Tom, Dick and Harry at our school," Makoto returned the dirty look in spades.

"I'm just shopping around," a smug look on the blonde bombshell's face, "how else am I going to find the right guy unless I sample all thirty-one favors."

"Could you two please change the subject?" Rei looked up from the papers she was reading, "I don't need to hear about anyone's love life."

"C'mon Rei-chan," Minako shifted her gaze to the shrine maiden, "It's not our fault you can't cut loose until you're twenty-five," then the Goddess-Of-Love look was back, "although I'll bet there's lots of boys at your Catholic school who'd love to turn you into a Christian."

Forgotten in this exchange was the instigator of this argument, so Ami closed the door behind her, slipped off her shoes and took off her heavy sky blue coat, Usagi didn't even look up when the shorthaired girl knelt down next to her. Each of her friends was dressed warmly for the winter weather although Rei seemed the least affected by the cold, the violet-haired girl wearing only a heavy red scarf around her neck in addition to her shrine maiden clothes. It was at this point Ami noticed everyone were holding various numbers of loose leaf pages in their hands and looking over the odango blonde's shoulder, the top student was surprised to find that instead of manga pictures they were covered with English words, she knew the petite girl had improved her ability with the foreign tongue but not to the level her eyes-glued-the-pages seem to suggest. Almost reluctant to interrupt the petite blonde's concentration, Ami asked, "What are you reading, Usagi-chan."

Without looking up, Usagi's right hand took a neat stack of paper off the table and handed them to Ami, the teen wonder used both hands to accept the unlooked offer and the first thing she saw was the title, "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts," then she saw the byline, by Troy "Silver" Stanton. Looking around, Ami noticed her other friends also held pages with English type on them, so wanting answers immediately, the usually soft spoken girl raised her voice above the barbs being traded, "Is everyone reading the same thing?"

"Aye-aye, Ami-chan," Minako's attention span changed in record time, "this is a groovy fanfic written by some guy in the US."

"A fanfic?" Ami was momentarily confused before her dictionary mind kicked in, "you mean a story written by a fan of another author's work."

"Yep," Makoto added her two-cents, "it's based on that manga Naoko-san is writing about us and that anime being done by Toei."

Ami had been against allowing someone to do a manga and an anime series based loosely on their exploits but she, Artemis and Luna were outvoted, six-to-three, besides the added income allowed them to go to Okinawa during the spring break. With this on her mind, Ami asked, "With Scout in its title, I presume this Stanton-san used the dub version as his reference point, correct?"

"About right," Rei answered as she made eye contact with Ami, "although he does take liberties with our names."

"I could live with being called, Leda, since it does mean something in English," the emotion developing in Makoto's green eyes didn't look friendly, "if that was the only liberty he was taking."

"Huh?" Ami was caught off-guard by Makoto's reaction, usually it took a physical threat to get her tall friend this mad, then the teen wonder flipped through the pages, her eyes going wide at finding the first chapter were sixty pages long, "How long is this story?"

"About two-thousand-and-sixty pages, give or take," Rei answered as she picked up a cookie from a tray and took a nibble.

"What?" Ami was always under the impression that most fanfics were short and very skimpy on details.

"Makes you wonder what his day job is, doesn't it?" Minako momentarily looked up before returning to her reading.

"Probably some Melvin look-a-like," Makoto growled out as her nose crinkled.

"Now, now, Makoto-chan, so he made you a bi with a puddytate boyfriend as well as a yen for the vine," Minako waved a dismissive hand at her pissed off friend, "he doing it to liven things up for your character, I mean the dub makes you out to be about as exciting as cherry Jell-O."

"What about you, Minako-chan," a nasty grin on Makoto's pretty face, "Stanton-san makes you out as a mercenary vixen with a split personality and a hunger for the kinky."

"So what," Minako's sly chuckle sent a shiver up-and-down Ami's spine, "true love ain't cheap and when I say I'm the Goddess of Love, I mean I'm the Goddess of 'All' Love."

"I think the author has Minako-chan peg just about right," Rei muttered as she turned a page, carefully laying it neatly on the read pile.

"Besides, I saw the way your green eyes lit up when Leda put on her catgirl suit," merriment danced in Minako's baby blues.

"Eh . . . ah . . ." Makoto hymned-and-hared before saying, "It was kind of cute."

"I hope she gets a chance to wear it more," Minako suggested.

Usagi let out a lover's sigh but her gaze never left the page she was reading, upon hearing the sound Makoto commented, "Usagi-chan must've reached the part where she became an angel."

"As if we didn't already know that," Rei's darkening mood filled her words.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, Rei-chan," one blonde bombshell trying to defuse another bombshell, "it's not his fault he doesn't know anything about Shinto, it's not a part of his culture after all."

"Yeah, I know," sighed Rei, "I just wished some of these fanfics didn't always picture me as either a dominatrix, a firebrand bitch or a closet lesbian."

"You mean you didn't like the part where Serena confessed her love for you?" Peter Pan mischief in Minako's grin.

"That was . . . that was . . ." Rei stammered, her face as red as Minako's hair ribbon, "nice."

Without warning Usagi leaned over the low table, catching Rei by surprise when the princess' lips lightly touched both of the violet-haired girl's blushing cheeks, then the petite blonde sat back down, saying, "Soulmates," before going back to her reading.

All of Usagi's friends just stared at her with Makoto finally breaking the silence, "I think Stanton-san going to get a big thank-you card from Usagi-chan."

"No lie, Kimo Sabe," Minako giggled at Rei's bugged out expression, "Stanton-san turns her into an angel, gives her a voice an opera singer would kill for, gets her laid by Darien and then she gets the chance to tell her best friend how much she loves her."

All these comments flying back and forth between Ami's friends got the teen wonder curious and she was intrigued because the first chapter was titled, "For The Love Of Mercury," so she started to speed read the first chapter.

"I wonder what Setsuna-san's reaction would be if she discovered Stanton-san turned her into a succubus?" Makoto smirked.

"Since Setsuna-san is the Mistress of Time," Rei tried to recover from her earlier shock, "she probably knew about it before Usagi-chan did."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Setsuna-san wasn't spreading disinformation to these writers," Makoto added with a frown, "some of this stuff has her twisted sense of humor written all over it, especially the way Stanton-san racked Darien's behind over hot coals."

"What you expect to happen when someone makes a pack with the Devil," Rei pointed out, "Anyway, we can't afford these fanfics to get even close to the truth, our lives are busy enough without having to outrun our groupies."

"Although I wouldn't mind the full body massages Rei, Susan and Serena got," Makoto grinned while giving Usagi an evil look, "especially since Darien was with them."

Usagi looked up at Makoto and gave her tall friend plenty of tongue before going back to her reading, Rei giggled before saying, "It looks like our Usagi-chan isn't ready yet to share her stud muffin with anyone."

"Although some of Stanton-san's style is kind of strange," Minako commented.

"This coming from an inhabitant of the Twilight Zone," Rei shook her head.

"I mean, I like the idea of the Negaverse inhabitants speaking Klingonese," Minako elaborated, "and I recognize some of the swear words they use, but he doesn't let us swear unless we are speaking that language."

"It is a little awkward," Makoto agreed, "Him saying we said something acidic in Japanese but not actually writing down the words."

"And this alphabet soup of characters that Stanton-san has in his series can be a little confusing," Minako pointed out, then she amended, "don't get me wrong, I do like all of them but sometimes it's hard to connect names with faces, especially if they've been gone from the storyline for some time."

"I do hope Mephisto gets a bigger part in the later chapters," Rei hoped, "I like his style."

"So you like the John Wayne type," Minako teased, "maybe we can get him to show up for your twenty-fifth birthday, eh?"

Rei just rolled her eyes but then a new thought entered her mind and turning her attention to Makoto, commenting, "The rape scene must've been hard for you to read, Makoto-chan."

"It . . . it was . . . difficult" for a moment there was dark sadness in Makoto's emerald eyes, "I know Leda is a fictional version of me but what happened to her and Alex in the alley re . . . reminded m . . . me . . ." again her words were choking on the lump in her throat.

"It's okay, Makoto-chan, we understand," Minako reached over and squeeze Makoto's shoulder while Rei gave an assertive nod, then the flaxen blonde changed the subject "So what did you think of his version of Haruka-san and Michiru-san?"

"Well," Makoto took in a deep breath and shook off her dark feelings before answering, "I thought Haruka-san would get a kick out of her counterpart being a Viking but Michelle seemed a little too mousy."

"I don't know, Makoto-chan," Rei countered her friend with a cool smile, "Michelle was wicked with that pretzel bag."

"And the way Alex looked at the end of chapter ten," Minako was back in Goddess-Of-Love mode, "they must be a regular pair of typhoons in bed."

"Minako-chan, could you give it a . . ."

"Tolaris."

Everyone but Usagi looked at Ami, it wasn't just the name coming from the teenager's lips that drew their attention, it was the way she said it, like the name signified every romantic encounter a young girl could dream, it was Minako who broke the silence this time, "Such a dreamboat isn't he, Ami-chan?"

"Huh-huh," Ami dreamily nodded her head, "he risked his life for me."

"Of course Tolaris did turn you into a vampire," Makoto couldn't resist the punch line.

"A WHAT?" not a ladylike shout coming this time from Ami.

"Close your mouth, Ami-chan, you drawing flies," Usagi said without looking up from her reading but she still was able to hand to the teen wonder another neat stack of paper.

Ami gave a Sherlock Holmes look at her smiling friends before she began to speed read the second chapter, once they were sure the blue-haired girl was engrossed with the tale, Makoto asked the others, "What did you think of Stanton-san's portrayal of Ami as a vampire?"

"I was worried at first," Rei answered, "I thought he was having Ami going all Dracula on us."

"Well, you do know vampires, incubus and succubus are the ultimate sex symbols," Minako said matter-of-factly, "in our modern age they represent unfettered sexual hunger, animalistic charisma and uninhibited love."

"You would know those kinds of things," Rei looked skyward, "Anyway, I thought all that I'm-the-big-bad was getting to be too much, and Mina flip-flopping between kinky curiosity and being the descendant of Mina Hawker wasn't helping either."

"Yeah," Makoto agreed, "but it changed, Stanton-san did say he did a little soul searching and changed the direction he was taking the story, because he did go over some of the same ground in the later chapters that he covered in the early chapters, I think he did that to reestablish the interrelationships of the characters, especially the Sailor Scouts and especially Ami."

"I agree," Minako nodded, "I think he decided that Ami would be the Barnabas Collins type of vampire."

"Don't you mean the Angel type of vampire?" suggested Rei.

"Nah! Angel is just a Johnny-come-lately," Minako shook her head, "Barnabas was the real deal, a handsome man cursed to be a vampire, searching for true love yet willing to sacrifice everything to protect his family and friends."

Makoto and Rei exchanged looks due to Minako's mile high tone before Makoto leaned toward Rei and whispered behind her hand, "I think Minako-chan is taking this Goddess-of-Love thing just a little to far."

"As I said before, Stanton-san has her pegged," Rei affirmed, then she switched the subject, "so what other things did you like about his cosmology?"

Makoto looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling before answering, "Very Gothic with a lot of Faustian, Machiavellian and Hollywood mixed in."

"And don't forget sex," Minako chimed in.

Both Makoto and Rei groaned in unison while Ami said, "Next chapter please," Usagi gave it to her, "Thank you," and then the petite blonde went back to her own reading.

"Gosh! Ami-chan is sure reading fast," Makoto commented as she watched Ami's eyes seem to glance at each page.

"She gets that way when she is engrossed with a story," Minako's face was all lit up, "I saw her do the same thing when I lent her my copy of Frankenstein."

There was something about Ami's reading that bugged Makoto, then she realized what it was, "Hold it, Ami-chan's not wearing her glasses."

"Took you long enough," Usagi commented, once more not taking her eyes off of what she was reading, "they're normal glass, I put them on once when I was waiting for her to finish her shower."

"I'll be," Makoto rubbed the back of her neck, "Ami-chan wears her shyness like a suit of armor."

"Maybe too much so," a sliver of sadness in Minako's voice, "it could explain why she finds Stanton-san's story so appealing."

"Makoto-chan, Minako-chan, what did you think of the villains?" Rei had decided to change the subject slightly, "You know how much a story's success is dependent upon well-crafted villains."

"You right, Rei-chan," Makoto replied, "I watched El Hazard and part of the reason I liked it so much was because of the main villain."

"Reminded you of your sempai, did he?" Minako couldn't resist the lead-in.

"Minako-chan!" Makoto's eyes flash green fire before she took a deep breath and let it out, her tone going neutral, "That's besides the point, what I'm trying to say is I found Stanton-san's villains to be well developed and understandable, they weren't cardboard cutouts for the Sailor Scouts to beat on."

"I was kind of disappointed that Queen Beryl was out of the storyline so fast," Minako commented, "Several of the comments about how we trashed the Negaverse to get at her had me intrigued, and there is the fact that the denizens' point-of-view about the Sailor Scouts is based on that rescue mission."

"I think Stanton-san did that because other writers had written similar stories," Rei said, when the shrine maiden got confused looks from Makoto and Minako, she explained, "you know, alternate universe stories that gave a different account of the Sailor Scouts' invasion of the Negaverse."

"What I found interesting about the villains were their differences," Makoto pointed out, "Rune is basically your typical military bureaucrat who reached the top of the dung heap, Shar-Tei could have been a friend if she wasn't trapped between her sense of duty and her love for Tolaris, Nop'tera is your Napoleon Bonaparte kind of person, and that I'm-the-presence-with-the-big-voice is obvious someone whom the gods really messed up and he wants revenge against them."

"Yeah," Minako agreed but then added, "but the way Mr. Big Voice is going to do it is going to get Nop'tera really pissed at him."

"Mean that avatar crack he made at the end of chapter ten?" Makoto asked.

Minako slowly nodded her blond head, saying, "we all know whose brooch he has, don't we?"

"Since Stanton-san has made it clear that avatar means Sailor Scout or someone equal to one," Rei fully knew who Minako was referring to, "and he has dropped enough hints about whom Freya truly is."

"I wouldn't want to be Mr. Big Voice when Nop'tera gets her fangs around his or her neck," Minako's baby blues flashed with anticipation, "she's going to give him such an hickey."

"Actually the only weakness to this story is the fact we've already seen Miss. Pink show-up a few times," Makoto pointed out, "her appearance kind of killed the suspense."

"I wonder if she's going to clog Serena on the head like she did Usagi-chan?" Rei speculated.

"Don't remind me," Usagi tossed in, her eyes glued to her reading.

"Of course with Serena being an angel, it makes you ponder about Stanton-san's cosmology," a thoughtful look to Rei's features.

"Well, Stanton-san did seem to make it clear that it was the Chaos Factor that made Serena an angel," Makoto pointed out, "although it is possible the Ginzuishou might have added its own two-cents into the mix."

"But what if the Chaos Factor isn't so chaotic," Rei suggested.

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked.

"As defined by Stanton-san, each dimension has its own power structure, going from the mundane to the spiritual," Rei's eyes very serious, "but what if there is a power structure above and beyond these dimensions, one that exists outside the confines of time and space."

"You mean the Big G, Rei-chan?" Minako asked with her baby blues very wide.

"And what if Serena becoming an angel is the manifestation of that entity's will," Rei wasn't pulling any punches.

"Hold on, Rei-chan, Susan already stated that all mortal spirits go to Hades except for the Sailor Scouts, their essences are pulled into the Ginzuishou," Minako held up her hand, "and Susan didn't seem to know anything about angels."

"If we have succubus, vampires and demons, then there should be angels, most likely more than one," Rei countered, "besides Susan is very limited by her chains to what she knows."

"But there could be a dimension with angels in them," Makoto knew Rei could get metaphysical at times, "we've only seen three dimensions so far so they don't have to come from some kind of Heaven."

"True but I doubt it," Rei countered, "Serena's multidimensional nature and the power of her love seem to suggest something else at least it does to me."

"There's one way to find out," Usagi said as she stood up. Makoto, Minako and Rei knew by Usagi's earlier comments that she had kept one ear trained on their conversation, but three pairs of eyebrows shot up when the odango blonde brought the Luna Pen out of her blouse pocket with a flourish.

"Usagi-chan, don't!" Rei shouted, "You don't . . ."

"LUNA PEN! MAKE ME AN ANGEL JUST LIKE SERENA IN SAILOR MOON V!"

The lightshow that accompanied the Luna Pen's activation occurred and the next thing Makoto, Minako and Rei knew they heard a tearing sound. They didn't really look like wings, not like those shown in all the pictures painted by the masters, but they were beautiful to the teenagers' eyes as they watched them unfurl from Usagi's back, the princess' eyes were closed but there was a heavenly smile upon her face and when she spoke, "Wow," her harmonic voice was easy on the ears.

The wings half-filled the room with their floating luminosity, which brought a surprised look to Makoto's face, the ginger-haired girl asked, "Should they be floating?"

"Look," Rei said as she slowly stood, her look neutral but her eyes shimmered with poorly concealed emotions.

Makoto looked but it was Minako who spotted it first, saying, "She's wearing the crystal Mina created."

There it was nestled between the furls of Usagi's cream-colored blouse, the dark gem attached to a golden chain that went around her neck, both Minako's and Makoto's attention upon it was interrupted when both felt something wrap around one of their arms. They were like butterfly wings, so light in their touching and so soft in their embrace, yet it was the sigh from Rei that caught the two girls' attention, there were several wings sliding up and down Rei's clothed body, her stance jelly, her eyes half-closed and her features soothed. It was apparent to Makoto that the wings were having a different effect on Rei than on them, "It's Rei-chan's gift and training, isn't it?"

"I believe you're right, Makoto-chan," Minako nodded before she worked her way around the table, along with Makoto, to stand beside Usagi, the flaxen blonde asked, "Are you okay, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi opened her eyes, Makoto and Minako knew they had changed but both still made wordless exclamations at the gold irises they saw, their friend's words wobbled from her lips, "I . . . I can feel your souls . . . see them shining from each of you," then tears filled her sparkling orbs, her wings reached and pulled the three to her, Usagi hands and wings held them in a tight hug. How could she know about Makoto's aching losses, how could she know about the loveless day-to-day existence Minako went through, how could she know about the dashed love that Rei carried within her and the princess' voice choused their sorrow, "the pain, how can you live with such pain!"

Once more Makoto and Minako exchanged looks but it was Rei who answered their unspoken question, the shrine maiden fighting to get through the peaceful sensations the wings' caresses were filling her brain, "Our Usagi-chan is different from their Serena, Usagi-chan is more experienced and her connection is different with our version of the Ginzuishou."

It was at this point a heartbroken sob came from beside them and everyone looked at Ami, her blue-haired head bowed, her trembling hands dropping the pages she was holding. Immediately Usagi let go of the others and knelt next to her sad friend, the odango blonde's wings cocooned Ami from head to foot. It didn't take long, a few seconds at most, for Usagi's new abilities to sense the emotional state in the young girl's soul, the golden-eyed girl asking, "Ami-chan?"

"You know, Usagi-chan, I have never kissed Ryo-kun," Ami's confession loaded with pathos, "holding hands yes but nothing else in the two years I've known him."

Makoto navigated around Usagi, knelt on the other side of Ami and faced the teen wonder, the ginger girl's strong hands slipped between the folds of the princess' wings to take her friend's hands, her voice ringing with gentle strength, "We all move at our own individual pace, Ami-chan, just look at me, I haven't even reached the point where I can make up my own mind about liking girls more than I do boys."

Usagi felt a shift in Ami's state-of-being even before the lessening of her sobs, her watery blue orbs and voice full of understanding, "the sempei bit . . ."

"You could say it is my armor," Makoto's contact with Usagi's wings transmitted to the odango blonde the many painful scars in her tall friend's heart, "a way to use my loss to keep my own attraction in check."

Ami nodded at Makoto but then said, "I've watched Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san, how their love keeps on getting stronger and stronger, I've seen the rock solid relationship between Haruka-san and Michiru-san, and I just want the same thing for me and Ryo-kun."

Now came the rustle of cloth and Usagi felt an arm slip between her wings to hug Ami around the middle, it was the favor of the emotions from the contact that told her it was Minako, who sat behind the blue-haired girl, caring love in the flaxen blonde's words, "Act on your feelings, Ami-chan."

"But what if I go too far, too fast, for Ryo-kun," alarm visibly on Ami's tear-stained face, "maybe he doesn't want a full-time girlfriend."

"Everything has risks, Ami-chan," Ami looked up at Rei, the shrine maiden's eyes as bottomless as her words, "but you have to ask yourself, will the longing, aching need go away if I do nothing?"

"But I never have taken risks before, Rei-chan," new tears split from Ami's sapphire eyes.

"You became Sailor Mercury," harmonic support in Usagi's words.

"I wasn't given a choice, Usagi-chan," accusation and resignation in Ami's words, "just as you accepted being the reincarnation of the Moon Princess as well as Sailor Moon, I accepted my role as one of your reincarnated protectors," then the teen wonder voice softened, "yet I wouldn't have met Ryo-kun if not for you and it's my own nature that seals my lips from speaking my love to him."

"Then speak your love, Ami-chan," Minako told her along with a little squeeze of Ami's small waist, "you can't hurt more from the knowing than you are right now from not knowing."

"But I've always weighed my options, studied and learn from reading," Ami blurted out, her eyes blinking fast, "but love is an experience, there isn't anything called Love 101."

It didn't take a super brain for Usagi to know these words and the feelings her wings were picking up from Ami weren't new, so what had brought them to a head and then a thought popped in the petite blonde's head, "Ami-chan, it's what is happening in Stanton-san's story that got you all stir up, right?"

Wordlessly Ami nodded her head before a soul-rending shudder ran through her body, her words quake, "I . . . I shouldn't . . . be . . . envious . . . of . . . of . . . her freedom . . . she . . . she took off . . . her shyness."

"That Ami paid a price for that freedom," Rei's voice careful to show her concern for her friend, "and now she is afraid that everything that makes her Ami will disappear in the darkness."

"I wish for just one time to experience what she has," Ami's head drooped, ashamed at showing her weakness, "something to guide my steps so I won't be afraid of losing Ryo-kun's love."

"Does Ryo-kun love you?" the thumbs of Makoto's hands gently rub the backs of Ami's hands.

"I think so," Ami barely raised her head to lock eyes with her tall friend, "I think Ryo-kun is just as afraid as I am."

A sound of frustration was heard coming from Rei and everyone looked, Rei's face captured the anger they heard in her words, "No wonder Ami-chan is mixed up inside, her heart chained to a man afraid of making a commitment."

"Please, Rei-chan, it's not Ryo-kun's fault," Ami said defensively, "how can it be, I don't even have the courage to call him, Ryo-chan or just Ryo."

"I don't believe that, Ami-chan," Usagi felt the sparks in Minako's mind that came with the words, "and I'll prove it," with those ending words the blond bombshell placed the Venus Compact on the table in front of Ami.

Usagi sensed the electricity run through Ami as she looked at Minako's compact, then she looked over her shoulder at the flaxen blonde, her tone was uncertain, "Minako-chan . . ."

"Take up my compact and become the Ami in Stanton-san's story," Minako told the blue-haired girl, "split the shell and let out your feelings."

"That's not a good idea, Minako-chan," a warning tone in Rei's voice and Ami heard someone drop behind her, a quick glance showed the shrine maiden right behind her and next to Usagi.

"We're here to help Ami-chan," Makoto gave Ami a supportive look, "I know she wouldn't hurt us."

"If we use Usagi-chan as an example, we should realize the vampirism will affect Ami-chan differently from the one in Stanton-san's series," Rei countered, "also remember the vampire is a predator, using its abilities to tap into the darkness in each of us, using it to pervert our most cherished dreams and turning our strengths into weaknesses."

Time was in suspension, Ami stared at Minako's compact, her logical mind struggling through the emotional haze her heart created, her body transmitted the sensations of the caring squeezes on her hands and waist by her friends as well as the feathery cocoon of Usagi's love. It was out of character or was it? Ami's spirit wanting balance between mind and heart, yin and yang, her hands pull from Makoto's grasp, they push through the silky affection and pick up the compact.

For Ami the artifacts of the Moon Kingdom weren't inert objects, when she held her henshin ward there is warmth in her palm. It had taken some months before the teen wonder pieced together what that warmth meant; there was a presence within the colorful metal object. To not be afraid in battle, to think logically even in the most stressful moment, to sacrifice her life without forethought and to care about a perfect stranger automatically, these weren't the normal characteristics of a mouse of a girl, a teenager who hid amongst her books, her tests and her grades, her one single goal in life was to become a doctor just like her mother. No friends, no husband and no children.

Now here she was kneeling between good friends, people she had fought beside, people she had died with, people she had joined to help protect a princess who fought as a warrior, a princess who used her power to take them out of the land of the dead. Now here she was with the Venus Compact in her hands, the warmth of living flesh and the pulse of a beating heart in its golden metal, words running through her mind, telling her what she needed to know to call upon the artifact's power, her voice giving them life:

Venus

Aphrodite

Goddesses of Love

Protectors of the Heart

Keepers of Desire

Hear my appeal

Grant my request

Let me become the Vampire Ami.

Everyone touching Ami felt her body stiffen just as a rainbow of brilliance filled the room while inside her young frame, the blue-haired girl felt every inch of her flesh being rearranged. There was shock in her mind because of the new dimensions her senses revealed, how sharp was now her sense of smell, taste and feel, sharp enough to smell the hormonal signature coming from Makoto, sharp enough to taste the apprehension coming from Rei, sharp enough to feel Usagi's love. As her shock faded with the blinding light another feeling stormed in, hunger.

Makoto grasped when she saw Ami's eyes go steel-blue, the siren of fear whisperings in her ears but the ginger-haired girl turned a deaf ear to its poison and instead she placed her right hand on Ami's clinched hands, they still holding Minako's compact. The school genius didn't feel her friends' hands nor Usagi's wings, her own terror at the animal hunger boiling in her blood swallowed her whole attention, mentally fighting against the instinct to make her friends her first victims and caught between the two polar emotions her body began to go into convulsions.

'Shhhhh, Ami-chan,' was it Ami's ears that heard them or was it her mind that felt them, 'stay calm,' there it was again, words that touched her mind, stopping her convulsions, 'don't be afraid,' there was comfort in them, 'let it come out,' Ami's spirit followed the words' path, found a zone in her psyche where another stood, an angel with wings of light.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked when she felt for a few seconds Ami's convulsions.

"The transformation did the same thing to Ami as it did to her counterpart in Stanton-san's story," Rei's face paled as she added, "she should change back."

"No, it could kill her," Usagi's unique voice negating Rei's unease.

"She must feed to live," a determined tone to Minako's words, her left hand reaching for the top button of her sunflower yellow blouse.

A note of resignation rumbled from Rei, "Alright, since Ami-chan needs to feed, I'm the one she should do it to," the others looked at her with surprise, the shrine maiden stared hotly back, adding, "I'm the strongest spiritually so I have the best chance of minimizing the corruption it will inflict on my soul."

"Then I should do it, because I'm not afraid of this so-called 'corruption'," contempt very obvious in Makoto tone, "because I'm a hell of a lot better at handling the intimacy than you can, Rei-chan."

"Nah! You're both wrong," Minako waved her left hand in front of her face, "I've got black spots already, another one won't make any difference."

'My friends,' Ami thought with pride as she lowered her guard, letting out her vampiric nature.

Words of argument died on everyone's lips as a great calm washed through three of the girls' minds. Worry, fear and determination no longer mattered to them, only the happiness of love they were feeling for each mattered now. It was mind control of course, Ami knew she was using her ability to stop the one-upmanship her friends were doing for her benefit, but she froze when a musical giggle came from her left side, the vampire turned her steel-blue eyes to the source and found Usagi grinning at her, a surprised look was the petite girl's reward and she asked, "What's wrong, Ami-chan?"

"I can see your aura, Usagi-chan," then she looked at the others with wonder, "and the others too."

"What do they look like?" harmonized interest was heard in Usagi's words.

"Yours is the first ray of a morning sun, bright and pure," Ami decided science could take a backseat right now, her eyes going to the shrine maiden, "Rei's aura is the dark purple of the last ray of the evening sun, secret and silent," the vampire turned next to the blond bombshell, "Minako's aura is the yellow hair of Indian corn, silky and sexy," finally it was the ginger girl's turn, "Makoto's aura is the dark blue of midnight, strength in solidarity."

"Neat!" the music of Usagi's glee making Ami smile, the points of her fangs visible against her pale lips, but next a serious look came to the princess' face, her hands going to the laced pink ribbon around the neck of her blouse.

"No, Usagi-chan," the vampire's hands intercepted the angel's hands, an anguished look on the odango blonde's face, "five times your light has defeated the darkness just as it now gives me nominal control over my dark impulses," the blue-haired girl shook her head, adding, "you're too important to risk."

Ami looked over Usagi's shoulder and focused on Rei before she again shook her head, "No, Rei-chan, while you are the spiritual strongest of us, my blood kiss would still corrupt your spirit, furthermore your psychic powers come from your celibacy and they are still needed should another foe try to conquer our world."

As Ami turned on her knees to face Minako, momentarily she lost her balance and barely righted by grabbing the edge of the low table. A cold steel-blue backward glare at a chagrined Usagi was the only thing necessary for the vampire to get the wings to release her, only for the school genius to let out a resigned sigh at finding the two longest of the wings wrapped carefully around her wrists, again giving the moon rabbit a look that matched her words, "I'm not going to get rid of them, am I?"

Usagi shook her head, a little worry creased her brow, "I'm not sure I can support you without touching you."

The vampire thought for a moment before she concluded that Usagi had a point, then Ami returned her attention to Minako, her words were gentle but nugatory, "V-chan, it can't be you either," even with the bland peaceful look on flaxen-blonde's face, the blue-haired girl saw the black flicker of sadness in Minako's aura, "you're the dancer upon the sharp edge of the sabre blade, the music guiding your feet to paradise, but if one misstep occurs, you will fall into the black pit waiting below you and you won't rise again," tears suddenly leaked from Minako's baby blues and Ami could only add, "I'm sorry."

When her gaze turned to Makoto, Ami had a brief struggle with her vampire nature before it calmed down, the darkness' excitement caused by the swirl of dark blue and dark green in the tall girl's aura. Makoto was excited, she might wear the same tamed expression as Minako and Rei but the rapid beat of her heart, the sexual aroma she filled the air, both heard and smelled by Ami, told a different story.

"Makoto, take off your sweater."

Makoto pulled off her forest green sweater.

"Please, unbutton your blouse."

Makoto's strong fingers undid the whalebone buttons of her red-black-and-green checkerboard blouse.

Ami wetted her lips, the rosy skin of Makoto's chest made her fangs ache, but the blue-haired girl moved slowly, purposely, her left hand delicately undid the front hook of her tall friend's bra, her steel-blue eyes taking in the sight of the pink round flesh with points already riding high.

Usagi swallowed a little as she watched Ami's head dip down, light sounds reached her ears as a field of roses were planted on Makoto's breasts, then the blue-haired head worked its way up the ginger girl's chest, carefully planting more roses.

Every inch of Makoto's being was boiling with anticipation, each touch of Ami's pale lips sent pleasurable jolts into her brain, she wanted to moan so bad, wanted so much to let the vampire know her desire, yet the blanket mind control stopped her as well as Minako and Rei, only Usagi seemed immune to the mental power although the tall girl didn't know how.

"Lean down, Makoto."

There was no hesitation when Makoto's head dripped down, lightning ripping through her mind when Ami's tongue hungrily licked the right side of her neck, the heart under her breasts thundered as does a summer storm when a razor sharp fang nipped her earlobe and she heard the lapping of the blood pearls.

It was maple syrup, the sweetest sake, so awesome was the taste of Makoto's blood to Ami's tongue, her vampiric nature roaring to be release so it could properly feed yet the teen wonder kept it in check, with Usagi's help.

"Look at me, Makoto."

Sensation of tingling pervaded in Makoto's neck where Ami had licked but the attention to it was fleeting when her emerald gaze was lost in the vampire's steel-blue gaze, even the tiny thin fangs in her friend's smiling face didn't alarm her.

"Makoto, the warrior of lightning and steel, the first protector of the once and future princess, the blood of the Storm King flows in your veins and I ask you to share it with me."

Makoto sensed some control over her body returned and a long pent-up moan of yearning colored her answer, "Yes, Ami, yes."

Ami's human concern battled through her vampiric hunger, "Take care, Makoto-chan," a serious tone replaced the melodious one the vampire had been using, "this isn't a transitory thing, what I'm asking you to do will change you, just as it has changed me."

"I need you, Ami, I want you," there was no mistaking Makoto's longing.

"Lay your head on my shoulder."

Once more Makoto obeyed, the strength of her friend's shoulder easily supporting her head, but she couldn't feel Ami's hand brushed loose strains of her ginger hair away from her neck nor did she sensed the vampire's lips gliding along her neck, letting its tongue and nose find the jugular, the nerves under the skin deadened by the creature's saliva. A deep throaty growl was the only warning Makoto received before a dull pain told her where Ami's fangs were.

"Eep!" came from Usagi when her wings telegraphed the animal lust of a vampire unleashed, at the same moment Minako and Rei swayed and both collapsed to the floor as they were released from the mind control. Rei was the first to recover, the shrine maiden coming up off the floor, her right hand reaching inside her white top and pulling out an ofuda. At seeing this action, the petite blonde raised her hand, her angelic voice saying, "Rei-chan," Rei paused and looked at Usagi, "only if Makoto-chan's life is in danger," the princess ordered.

Two instincts conflicted in Rei, obedience to the Moon Princess versus her duty as a Shinto shrine maiden, but then she remembered what the blue-haired vampire had told her, there was still concern on her sharp face but Rei went to at-ease mode.

The ringing bells in Minako's head had kept her down the longest, "Watson, the hypodermic," the blonde bombshell muttered as she tried to rub the pain out of her blue orbs, once done she was greeted by two blue-steel eyes gazing over Makoto's shoulder, a predatory warning directed at her. First her eyes go wide and then Minako raised her hands in a silent surrender, the gesture seemed to satisfy the vampire because it began to feed.

Boneless would be great description for the way Makoto felt right now, her kneeling body sagged against Ami's smaller body, her ears hearing the exchange of words between Rei and Usagi but not caring about what they meant. What the tall girl cared about was the warm serene feeling waltzing through her soul, every nightmare she had ever dreamt, every horrible wound that ever marred her heart, was for a few precious minutes banished away. Even when one hand begun to knead her right breast and rolled her stiff nipple between thumb and forefinger, Makoto could only moan with happiness.

Ami sated her hunger and the anticoagulant in her salvia kept the blood flowing freely through the two small punctured wounds in Makoto's neck, the blue-haired vampire thought she would reach her peak of feeding in the first minute, but this theory instantly changed when the rich hormones in the blood cocktail hit her system. Somewhere in the back of her logical mind, the teen wonder realized it wasn't just the material substance that required a vampire to drink blood, the dark creature also feasted on its victims' sexual fantasies. If Ami had the experience of Minako, Haruka, Michiru or even Usagi, she might have been able to control it, instead she was seduced, one hand reached up to knead Makoto's breasts, to keep the sexual soup coming, while the other hand slipped underneath the elastic band of her own dark cyan pants, to caress her erect clitoris through her pale blue panties.

There wasn't a morsel of shyness left in Ami, she knew Minako, Rei and Usagi were watching her, ready to step in if it look like Makoto was going to lose too much blood, but she didn't care, her fingers were busy to keep Makoto in heaven while stoking her own fire. It didn't take long, in fact the blue-haired vampire was so caught up that she missed the first warning sign, her panties soaked by her own juices, so Ami's first orgasm nailed her right between the eyes. Once more, the vampire's fangs clamped down on the tall girl's throat so to suck out every drop of Makoto's arousal, her clawlike fingernails scratched the tall girl's breast, causing red beads to appear on the milky skin, yet only a wordless sigh escaped Makoto's lips.

Three observers saw this happen, with Minako and Rei exchanging looks before Rei opened her mouth but Usagi beat her to the punch, "Get ready."

Usagi could sense with her wings that Ami had hit the proverbial brick wall even before she retracted her fangs from Makoto's neck, her exhausted voice whispered, "Thunderheart," just before her blue-haired head rolled back with eyes closed and her body started to fall backwards, taking the tall girl with her.

"Now!" Usagi shouted as she opened her hands to catch Ami.

Usagi caught and lowered Ami into her lap, while Rei had to slide along the low table so she and Minako could keep Makoto's bulk from turning the two petite girls into rice cakes, a concerned Minako asked Rei, "How's Makoto-chan's neck."

A concentrated look appeared on Rei's face, "They're oozing a little blood," then the shrine maiden rubbed her thumb over the wounds, "correction, they already closed."

"Good," Minako lifted Makoto's head by the jaw, the ginger girl's face was pale but not ghostly white, a good sign, then she snapped her fingers in front of her tall friend's face, saying, "C'mon, Makoto-chan, snap out of it."

Makoto's eyes half-open, her green gaze filled with the aftereffects of the blood kiss, seeing this responsive as positive Rei asked, "Makoto-chan, how you feel?"

"Like someone just swept my soul clean," Makoto mumbled as her right hand rubbed the wounds on her neck, then she added, "I'm a little thirsty?"

Minako looked at Rei, asking, "Do you have any kind of fruit juice?"

Rei looked over at the unconscious Ami and then at Usagi, the princess gave the shrine maiden a nod, immediately Rei was on her feet, "I'll be back with the OJ and the first aid kit," and out the door.

"I'm taking a nap until then," Makoto's words floated from her lips as she cuddled up to Minako.

Thrown off-guard and off-balance Minako tumbled over with Makoto ridding her down and using the blonde bombshell's bazookas as a pillow for her ginger-haired head, this prompt Minako to shout, "Hey! Makoto-chan, I'm straight!"

"What about all this Goddess-of-all-stuff," Makoto's sleepy voice asked as she pinned Minako in a stuff-toy-hug.

"I represent them!" Minako vainly struggled, "I DON'T practice them!"

"You were going to help Ami, Minako-chan?" Makoto's eyes droop closed.

"So I was a little curious," Minako fired back, "that doesn't mean I have a kinky tail."

During this exchange between Makoto and Minako, Usagi noticed Makoto didn't ask once about how Ami was faring, it didn't surprise her, not at all because her wings sensed the blood bond that now existed between her two friends. The odango blonde believed Ami would revert from her vampire self once the crisis was over just as she believed she would lose her angelic self because it wasn't needed anymore, but she still saw tiny points visible against bloodstained lips. The princess knew both the Luna Pen and the Venus Compact were artifacts of the Moon Kingdom, created at the same time as the Ginzuishou, with both used to temporary disguise the user, but now for some reason the Venus Compact had turned Ami into a real vampire. Usagi also knew she was responsible for this happening to Ami, if she hadn't impulsively changed herself into the Angel Serena, Ami wouldn't have tried it either, and it left the princess with only one option. With a harmonic hum coming from her triple vocal cords, Usagi once more cocooned the blue-haired vampire in her wings, in moments Ami's eyes fluttered open, "Huh?" questioning looks in her steel-blue eyes.

"Sleep," instantly Ami followed Usagi's suggestion, as the princess continued her humming the steel-blue color of Ami's still opened eyes darken to her normal sapphire blue, the fangs disappearing under her lips. Carefully the princess used her wings to mold her friend's vampiric nature, making Ami's body more efficient in using the blood she took and giving the teen wonder more control over her blood hunger. As she stopped her humming, Usagi knew she couldn't leave this form she had taken, only an Angel Usagi could both stop and protect a Vampire Ami, Sailor Moon had to be a last resort because if she used any of her Moon Attacks on the vampire, it could mean Ami would die, it could mean Sailor Mercury would die.

Hearing Rei returning, Usagi concentrated for a moment and her wings disappeared, the gold drained from her eyes and her fingernails returned to normal, when the shrine maiden slid the door open, the odango blonde said in her normal voice, "Makoto-chan, Ami-chan, time to get up."

Rei came in and closed the door, one hand held two plastic pints of orange juice and in her left armpit was the first aid kit, "I thought Ami-chan might like one," she explained.

Ami blinked a few times before lifting her head from Usagi's lap, saying, "Thank you, Rei-chan."

Smiling, Makoto released Minako so she could get to her knees, "Thanks, Rei-chan," the ginger girl taking one of the pints.

"Thank God, saved at last," Minako whooshed from the floor, then her baby blues glanced down her front, "Hey, you got spots all over my blouse, do you know how hard it is to get bloodstains out of silk."

Both Makoto and Usagi giggled at Minako's expense, while Rei just smiled while handing the remaining pint to Ami, her dark eyes caught the wink Makoto gave Ami and the blush it produced on the blue-haired girl's cheeks. Believing it was none of her business, Rei simply said, "That was an interesting study session."

"Do you think Stanton-san meant his story to have this effect?" Makoto asked with a bit of humor.

"Sure puts a new spin on the word, temptation," Minako added as she got up and took the first aid kit from Rei, the shrine maiden's eyes widen at the way the blond bombshell opened the white box and pick up the red bottle of disinfectant with a flourish.

"I almost wet my panties," Usagi hid her concern behind her usual happy glow.

"I did," Ami's admitted while her blush reached the roots of her blue hair.

Notes to Troy: Well, Troy, I'll bet you didn't expect this kind of feedback. I use to do the normal review and feedback thing but I get bored because you can't really do some in-depth theorizing about cosmology, plot creation, storylines and character development in a one or two page piece and if I'm going to go beyond that number, I decided to do it in a story format. This isn't the first time I've done this and I did get some words of encouragement when I did then.

I tried really hard to strike a balance between nods of approval, helpful criticisms and a wish list for future chapters, while mixing in an entertaining story. I also modified my usual writing style so it was more like yours and I kept things simple since it has multiple purposes (in my normal writing style, I use a lot of Nihongo words, slang and idioms).

Notes to the Readers: When Troy made it plain in his prologue that he wouldn't mind other fanfic writers creating their own versions of SMVDA, I decided to take a stab at it but first I wanted to start out on the right foot with Troy, so I did what you have read, I created a combination review, feedback and wish list in a entertaining story format. I also carefully developed the story so it would have an open ending, so if Troy did find my idea to be acceptable, I could use this story as the first installment.

Writing Style: My writing style is going to change from installment to installment, so expect the unexpected.

Timeline: This series will take place after Sailor Moon Stars but as I have already laid down, this is going to be an alternate continuum to the manga, the anime and the live action.

Storyline: It's non-canon just like SMVDA, it will be Gothic Horror and I will be borrowing several ideas from SMVDA but I'm going to put my own spin on them. There will be elements from the manga, the anime plus a few things from the live action.

Characters: I like all the main characters for Sailor Moon, even Mamoru, but at the same time I'm not going to pussyfoot them either, this is Gothic Horror after all.

Usagi: I loved Troy's variation to Super Sailor Moon, especially the wings. I really didn't like the small wings they placed on Super Sailor Moon's back (you can tell I enjoyed the final episode of Sailor Stars).

Ami: I will be handling Ami's vampirism a little differently than what Troy is doing, those who are familiar with the soap opera series, "Dark Shadows," will instantly know where I'm going.

Rei: I've decided to go with the personality developed by Naoko for manga, also expect a lot of Shinto background for the character.

Makoto: As some have already noticed, Makoto's star will be tied to Ami's star. I'm not going to go with the simple yuri relationship nor will I treat Makoto simply as Ami's blood bank. I'm going for a very complex relationship. Also Makoto's background will be much darker than it was in the manga.

Minako: Minako will be based on the profile I developed for her in my Tenchi Muyo crossover series, "Strange Days Book Two: Fire and Rain."

Haruka: Based on the manga version with very little change.

Michiru: Based on the manga version with very little change.

Hotaru: Based on the manga version but with significant changes.

Setsuna: Based on the manga version but with significant changes.

Ryo: Based on the anime version but with significant changes. I'm going for the ending Naoko used for the original ending of Sailor Moon, so Ryo knows about Ami being Sailor Mercury and he does have an idea about the identities of the other Sailor Senshi.


	2. Chapter 2

Story Title: Full Moon Fever

Series Title: House of the Holy

By Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" is the property of Troy "Silver" Stanton. This is here because several of the concepts I'm going to use in this series originated with Troy and his wonderful series. "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" can be found at:

My e-mail addresses are:

This is the second installment to this Sailor Moon series. At first this story will appear to be totally separate from the first installment but they are connected. Many will notice that I'm paying homage to the great detective novels of Dashell Hammett, Eric Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. If you don't recognize any of these authors, then maybe you will know their creations, Sam Spade, Perry Mason and Philip Marlowe.

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult scenes, so minors should get parental permission before reading this series.

Copyright: September 19, 2004

Proofreader: Lanis

Timeline: This installment takes place fifteen days after the first installment of "House of the Holy: Temptation and Seduction."

Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Nihon

"Typhoon Ursula will be making landfall in the Kanto region approximately early next morning, twenty-four hours from now. All citizens are advice to prepare their homes for winds greater than 170 mph and rainfall close to 30 inches. The Jieitai has been mobilized and all non-essential personal are advice either to evacuate the area, go to emergency shelters or stay at home. Please make contact with your local emergency coordinator so you will know where your local emergency shelter is located."

"Shit, I died again."

My shoulders sag while my hands dropped to the top of my desk, the Playstation controller in my hands, my baby blues staring at the 16-inch screen that showed my Sailor V aviator dramatic dying scene, once more defeated by eighteen level boss monster, Sailor Galaxia. With the break in the action I check the continuous emergency message coming from my radio, but nothing new came out, just the same-o-same-o, the typhoon would hit sometime tomorrow morning and turn Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama in the world's biggest concrete swimming pool, decorated with uprooted trees and tinplated surfboards. It was amusing when one religious fanatic suggested that the Saishu of the Grand Shrine at Ise should go to Miyake-jima and use her divine Shinto powers to turn the storm away from Nihon. Then it got ridiculous when someone suggested that the Nihonjin government should hire Sailor Moon to dust the windbag.

"Sailor Moon," a frown appeared on my face, "why is it that whenever something horrific is about to happen to this town, people turn to Sailor Moon to once more be our savior, like we don't have a backbone anymore to save ourselves."

Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for Sailor Moon, her victories over Queen Beryl, the Deathbusters, the Death Circus and the Sailor Wars, are things to be honored, but to lose confidence in your own abilities and pin your hopes on one individual and her bodyguard, whoever she and they are, just seemed weak willed to me. It doesn't help that I have never seen them in action or been in the position to witness the destruction brought by their opponents, so maybe there is still a little bit of a Doubting Thomas in me, a voice inside of me, telling me that Sailor Moon is actually a special governmental paramilitary taskforce, who used the cute image of magical girl genre to fund its budget. The money from the manga, the anime and the videogames had to go somewhere.

"Well, while Sailor Moon might be everyone's poster child," a lopsided smile on my lips as I stared at the lifeless pixel image of Sailor V, "you're going to remain my number one superheroine."

A buzz came from the intercom interrupted my further comparison of Sailor Moon and Sailor V, so I put down the controller and press the intercom's on button, "Yes, Yajue-chan?"

"Boss, we've got a live one, her name is Aiko-san."

The only time Yajue would call me boss was when she was trying to impress a client with our professionalism, I could also tell from her voice that she was wearing her ear mike setup, so I said, "Tell them it's cheaper for them to let the typhoon to take care of their problem."

"C'mon, Boss, her getup is worth an interview," Yajue's tone heavy with hidden meaning.

I groaned, thinking, 'Great, its one of the dancers from the strip joint.' It was a nice arrangement, having the top floor without rent for my company in return for doing some bouncer work for the owner of the private club on the first floor; the only problem with it is the dancers coming to me with their problems. Cheating boyfriends, obsessive customers, abusive pimps, background checks on husband material, you know the normal stuff. Then there are those who get starry-eyed about me and come up here to see if I'm looking for a new piece of ass.

Of course there is Yajue's recommendation to take into account, my right hand man or should I say my right hand woman. It was Yajue and her all girl biker gang I saw terrorizing a thirteen-year-old blonde, the poor kid's eyes as big and as blue as twin lakes because of the fabric scissors they held. It was Yajue that plunged one of those scissors into my stomach when I tried to interfere, it was Yajue and her gang I dumped into a garbage bin after I knocked them senseless, and it was Yajue and her gang that came to me the next morning. The bleached blonde saying since I was tough enough to spank their combined bottoms while wounded, I was tough enough to be their new leader. Me, a gaijin who left the only profession I ever knew, a stranger in a strange land, unable to speak the lingo, I was now responsible for ten young women, some no more than teenagers.

"You know the wind is already making the wires play a dirge," I have depended on Yajue's smarts for the past two-and-a-half years, no sense of stopping now.

"If we spread out the leg work, we get it done before Mama Bear arrives," Yajue's cool tone might sound true to the client but I heard the grin behind it.

"Okay, Yajue-chan, send Aiko-san in," I said and then I prepared myself for whatever tactless snow job I was about to get, with a name like Aiko, love child, I expected the worse.

Boy, was I wrong.

She walked right into my life.

I always wanted to use that line, of course me thinking it probably clearly showed how kinky I could get, but I couldn't help it, there she was all dressed up like Lauren Bacall, full-length tan leather jacket, black leather gloves, a fedora pulled so far down that its wide brim almost touched her nose, and a pair of big sunglasses that effectively hid her eye color from me. She was so calm walking into my private office; she even had the Lauren Bacall walk down pat, if nothing else she was a seasoned professional, someone used to putting on an act in front of strangers.

'Okay,' I thought, 'If she's going to play Bacall, why don't I play Bogart.'

In most walks of life including my former and new professions, I find most people go with their first impressions, so I could very well imagine Aiko eyes going wide behind those smoky glasses when my six foot plus frame stood up, me dressed in a reddish-brown business suit, bowing before saying, "Good morning, I'm Rogers Thisbe, top investigator of the Titan Detective Agency."

Her composure didn't crack; she returned my bow and responded in a sultry voice, "Good morning. As your secretary told you, I'm Aiko-san."

No last name, most likely not even her real first name and she doing everything possible for conceal her looks, although I could tell she was below five feet and the coat's tight strap showed she had an hourglass figure, so with this running through my mind I came around the desk and gestured for her to sit in one of the plain wooden chairs in front of my desk. My office is a bare thread affair, a couch against the right wall, a wall bookcase against the left wall, the wall behind the desk decorated with my business license, plus pictures and mementos of my former profession, mostly there to impress the clients.

There was hint of a knowing smile on her rosy lips and she sat in the offered chair and I leaned against the corner of my desk while asking, "How may I be of service to you, Aiko-san?"

"I presume you left the intercom on for a reason?" no menace in Aiko's voice, just a hint of curiosity.

Another notch up on my estimation, hawk eyes even with those shades on, so I responded, "Mifune-san is our number two in our company," using Yajue's surname and her official rank as our sub-leader, "so she is more than a secretary."

There, a fleeting frown on her lips before she brought back her little smile, something about the situation bothered her but she wasn't ready to back out, instead her sensual voice said, "I'm here seeking help for a friend of a friend."

I asked my first important question, "Your friend's friend couldn't or wouldn't come on her own?" Getting dragged in by nosy friends is a good way to end up in no-man's-land.

"Couldn't," a drop of ice water in Aiko's voice, "she is in the hospital."

That got my interest. I have a soft spot when it comes to women, children and cats, just ask Yajue or the dancers downstairs, they all would say, "Thisbe-san, that tall drink might be scary on the outside but there's a marshmallow inside."

I asked my second question, "What happened?"

"My friend's friend has a boyfriend," Aiko crossed her legs, revealing the crimson high heels she was wearing, "he has the brains to take them both far but he is curious about everyone and everything, so when she and her boyfriend were out last night in Shibuya, a guy approached and offered them a new designer drug, my friend's friend turned it down but her boyfriend didn't."

This wasn't new to me, working on Tokyo's streets for almost three years you see it happen like clockwork. A new designer drug hits the streets, a few of the pushers end up with a bad batch and some of the takers end up dead or in a bed with tubes sticking out of their mouths.

Aiko must have notice the wheels turning in my head because she shook her head while saying, "You're thinking it was a bad batch and it could have been, since I wasn't there to see what happened, but my friend was. The drug triggered something because her friend's boyfriend became some kind of monster," the woman paused to let her first words to sink in before she finished, "a monster who killed the pusher and attacked his girlfriend . . ."

She didn't need to finish the sentence, it wasn't necessary, date rape occurred too often in Nihon but this was a new twist, it also set off alarm bells in my head, "This is a open case, isn't it?"

"Yes," Aiko moistened her lips, "the police are investigating but with the typhoon and its aftermath, it's very likely it will end up a cold case."

Police terminology, her use of it meant several things to me and all of them could mean nothing, yet it was something to remember, "But the boyfriend is still on the loose."

"The police haven't been able to find him, even with Tokyo half-deserted," Aiko gaze never moving from my face, "it's as if he just disappeared."

Disappearances, once more something that wasn't uncommon in Tokyo but finding missing people put yen in my pocket. Of course you might be wondering why I haven't voiced any doubts about the boyfriend turning into a monster. Well, after having what has happened in the last two-and-a-half years, reports of people turning into monsters are very easy to believe, thus I asked, "You want me to find the boyfriend?"

"No, someone else is doing it for me," Aiko reached underneath her jacket and pulled out a bulging white envelope, "What I'm hiring your agency to do is to find the lab that made the drug and give that information to us."

Us, Aiko hadn't said me, she had said us, plural, more than one, again it was something for me to store away and think about later, "To hire our company it will cost you four-hundred-thousand yen a day plus expenses."

"You are not worried about getting involved in Yakuza business," Aiko was carefully watching my face.

"Only a nutcase isn't apprehensive about stepping on the Yakuza's feet," I tried to keep my eyes friendly "but in my line-of-business, you get use to fleas."

My response must have been the one Aiko wanted, because she added a floppy disk and a small note to the envelope and held it up to me. Nice manicure, glossy cherry pink on those fingernails, no beginner did those nails. I took the items and I opened the note, it had a person's name and the name of a hospital, Osaka Naru, Toranomon Hospital. I looked at Aiko, saying, "A friend of a friend."

The mysterious woman nodded before she stood up and then said, "I'll contact you in eight hours," I opened my mouth but she added, "I do have your telephone number."

With movie star grace Aiko turned and headed for the door, a mystery woman who wanted to remain a mystery but I just had to ask, "What if an emergency comes up, how will I contact you."

I should've seen this coming and I must have looked just like Bogie did, Aiko half turning, a come-here smile on her flawless face, her words just like Bacall's, "Just whistle. You do know how to whistle? Just put your lips together and blow."

Before Aiko could reach the door, it opened to reveal Yajue. She gave our client a short bow and then she looked at me, silent giggles in her brown eyes and I couldn't stop myself, I whistled.

Aiko left through the front door and I could hear her footsteps head for the elevator. I waited several minutes as did my number two before turning to her, smiling while waiting for the words I saw on her face, "Are you sure we should take this case, Thisbe-san," Yajue had a way of sobering me up quick, "the Yakuza in front of us, the police behind us and a typhoon about to apply a bear hug on the city?"

I put her off, "So this month's color going to be midnight blue," making reference to her new hair color.

Yajue rolled her eyes and then she spoke, using my nickname, "Kore-chan, I've seen you play hardball with old Yakuza bosses, highflying salarymen and mucky-muck politicians but when it comes to women, kids and cats, you are a marshmallow."

See I told you.

"Be that as it may, Number Two, we need a paycheck to help feed our gang," I decided to play on Yajue's position as our sub-leader, "I don't know about the others but my taste buds tell me that man doesn't live by instant ramen alone."

"I beg your pardon," an indigent voice came from the other side of Yajue, "last night we had fried tofu mixed with vegetables in teriyaki sauce," eighteen-year-old Ichigo poked her pink curly head out from behind the taller woman, she pouted with hurt pride.

"Ichigo-chan, why don't you roundup the rest of our pack," the reminder of last night's meal was all I needed, "it's time to get a Texas T-bone before I forget what one tastes like."

"You gaijins are sure spoiled with your high meat intake, we got enough instant ramen and tofu to last us a couple of weeks," I let my worse-than-death gaze tell Ichigo my opinion for that idea, she relented, "Okay-okay, I'll go get the others," the teen walked away from my sight but the sound of a door chime told me she had gone into our private apartment.

"I see you've made up your mind," I let my silence be my affirmation, besides Yajue wasn't trying real hard to convince me, so she held out her hand and I gave her the floppy disk, "I get a hardcopy of what's here and then we can figure out how to divide up the assignment."

"I want Kanyo and Janyo to stay here and keep everyone informed on our progress" I walked over to the sofa with the envelope in my left hand, "as well as to mind the store."

"Yes," Yajue nodded her agreement, "the Twins could lose track of time and we might not be able to get to them before the typhoon hits."

The painting over the sofa was an interesting one, it showed the Earth as seen from the Moon, a huge blue and white ball in the blackness of space rising above the moonscape, but what made this picture so unique was broken columns that bordered the left and right edges, like someone was standing amongst all that desolation, seeking hope by looking at the Earth. I carefully lifted the artwork off of its hook and put it on the sofa, it had been a gift from a client's daughter, our investigation and rescue of her from some kidnappers had been our first big case, it had also convinced Yajue and the other girls that being detectives was as fun as being members of a biker gang, although not as profitable. I pushed the hook in and an audible click occurred and a six-by-five inch panel slowly opened to its left. Inside the hole were various files I considered too important to leave in a file cabinet, but before I deposited the envelope, I opened it and took out enough yens to cover our current bills since living and working in Tokyo is very expensive, especially when your profession includes bribes.

After closing the hidden panel and putting the painting back on its hook, I made my way to the outer office, where the rest of the girls had gathered around Yajue's desk. She was gathering up the pages being spit out by the printer behind her chair.

"Howdy, Good morning, Boss," a chorus of girly voices greeted my appearance, it was impossible for me not to feel motherly toward them, so young were those faces, even Yajue was only twenty-two, the only legal adult in this room besides me, and the hair. I'm certain they get their ideas for hair color from a 64 box of Crayola Crayons, but underneath those pretty faces of lipstick and rouge I could sense the fragile hardness inside them, the loss of teenage fancies replaced by the grim lessons of the streets.

"So what's the case?" twin voices ask, Kanyo and Sanyo, the Gemini Twins as I called them, looked at me with their sky blue eyes, their adolescent bodies and their bobbysoxer clothes showed them to be the youngest of our gang, just thirteen years old.

"Information gathering," I replied, some of the faces took on bored expressions, "but we could end up butting heads with the Yakuza," those expressions showed interest and I turned my attention to the young girl with apricot hair, "Torami-chan, I'm going to need you to make contact with your friends in Shibuya teen gangs. An incident involving a dead pusher and the rape of a teenager happened on their tuff."

"Aye-aye, Uno-umo," Torami gave a Boy Scout salute, her grin full of delight.

"So we're going to operate in Goto Clan territory?" with the blizzard of colorful girls clothes around me, purple-haired Myomi appeared the strangest just from her clothing normalness, the white kimono and scarlet baggy pants of a Shinto shrine maiden.

"It's very possible, Myomi-chan, so I was hoping you wouldn't mind going to Yoyogi Park and the Togo Shrine, employing your sharp ears there?" I hated to send our newest member into danger, the sight of her milky eyes made me softhearted but her straight back poise told you she didn't want your pity, just your respect and she earned mine the day she saved the Gemini Twins from a pack of wild dogs.

"My best is always yours, Rogers-san," no doubt in Myomi's tone.

"Suzue-chan," a sixteen-year-old girl with buzzed-cut black hair turned to face me, "I don't believe I need to ask you to go with Myomi-chan and make sure she doesn't lose track of time."

"That's right, Kone-chan," the day Myomi had joined our group, Suzue had declared she would protect the blind girl, the shrine maiden hadn't said yea or nay to the idea and since then the two were inseparable.

I decided now to give my warning, "Okay, everyone, listen up," a pause in the small talk and all their attention was on me, "you have less than twenty hours to gather whatever information you can find on this case, then you either hightail back to here or go to one of the emergency shelters or," then I gave them a wink, "shack up with your boyfriend or your girlfriend," there was a lot of blushing, giggling and friendly elbowing.

It only took me a few seconds to notice the printer had finished its job and I patiently watched Yajue speed-read the hardcopy, when she finished her brown eyes had an apprehensive look so I asked, "Problems?"

"I think our client has ironclad connections with the Metro Police," Yajue hand the papers to me, "some of them are the notes from the investigating officers, less than five hours old."

"Groovy!" that came from Odaijiko, a platinum blonde whose hair touched the backs of her knees, "Well, isn't it?" she questioned when people around her gave her dirty looks.

"Yes and no," I replied as I handed the papers to Ichigo to photocopy, "it means that someone near the investigation believes that this case is too delicate for the police to discover all the facts."

"But that means the police won't get in our way, doesn't it?" Odaijiko was trying to put together what I told her.

"Listen, lamebrain," redheaded Ashimi thumped Odaijiko's head with her right fist, "it means we can't expect the Seventh Cavalry to come over the hill if we get into trouble."

"Owe! That's hurts!" Odaijiko held her head with her hands, then a brainy thought lit up her face as she asked, "If the police are going to give this case a wide berth, then who's getting the information."

"Could a rival Yakuza gang be duping us, Rogers-kun?" Nae-chan suggested. "Getting us to do their dirty work for them?" The fifteen-year-old had been one of few of our gang to go back to school; her parents still willing to support her even through she no longer lived with them.

"It doesn't feel that way to me," Yajue replied, "I've been in a couple of Yakuza turf wars and they usually want people to know who is doing what to whom."

"Unless it's a third party," Nae retorted, "our client did keep her face hidden."

"I agree with Nae, Number Two," I said before Yajue could reply, "I think we are dealing with a third party, but who I don't know."

"It could be a vendetta," the look Yajue gave me showed this was her judgment based on her own experience, "the paramedics report said Osaka-san's clothes were viciously torn, her face badly clawed and her panties ripped off."

Several of the girl's faces went pale at what Yajue suggested, so I said, "It's true, she was raped, but our client wants us to find the lab that made the drug that turned her boyfriend into a rapist," I could already see some raising their hands, so I added, "Our client told me there is already someone going after the boyfriend, so he isn't our concern," then I let my baby blues turn as hard as marbles, "unless we accidentally stumble over him," each of the girls gave me a nod of approval before I continued, "alright, Number Two will give out the rest of the assignments, I'm going to the hospital to talk to doctor handling Osaka-san, maybe some of her friends will be there for me to interview."

"Do you need backup?" Ashimi asked as she gave me puppy dog eyes.

"No so you don't get to ride with me on my hog," I grinned at Ashimi's pout, the most openly lesbian I had ever known, the redhead had been trying since day one to get into my pants while I was still wearing them.

"C'mon, Ashimi-chan, you can help me," Yajue ordered. I watched for a few minutes as the organized chaos commence, then I headed for the stairs, where I heard several, "Goodbye, Break a leg, Take care," I waved back, saying, "Don't take any firearms out, there are military types out there to prevent looting, so take care and call me if something comes up."

"You do the same thing," Suzue responded, everyone in that room knew I had a tendency to go off on my own, trying to keep the others out of harm's way by doing it alone. Their rejoinder has always been the same, for them the gang was their family and family sticks together, maybe that is why I mother hen them so much.

For most people six floors of stairs would automatically make them use the elevator, not me, I prefer them since they help keep me in shape and there was the additional advantage that they led to a door on the first floor, a door only Yajue and me had the keys to. It didn't take that much persuading to get the strip bar owner to let me convert and expanded an old storage room into a garage for my Harley. The motorcycle had been a gift from my Grandpa when I graduated from high school and Dad had sent it here when I decided to stay in Nihon, him saying that I should have something with me to remind me of where I came from. A Harley-Davidson Shovelhead Police Special, built in 1974 and painted with the same color scheme as the one in Easy Rider, Stars and Stripes Forever, the only addition I added later was the hard case saddlebags.

As usual I gave the bike the once over while I mentally checked off on what I had in those saddlebags and I added a few more things I believe I would need for the case, then I unlocked the rollup door that led to the alley behind the brick building, rolled out my beauty and closed the door. Unlike some bikers I use a full helmet, which is one reason I kept my hair short, thus I strap it on after I got on my bike and turned the key. It felt so wonderful to have those powerful vibrations between my legs, the instant pleasure it sent into my brain, only a real biker could understand the love I felt for my macho machine, so I knocked the kickstand up and off I went with a roar.

Toranomon Hospital, Minato-ku

With the streets almost deserted, only emergency vehicles out and about, I made quick passage to the Toranomon Hospital but I was stopped at the front desk while they called up to intensive care, checking out my credentials. In about five minutes a candy striper came up to me and bowed, a somber look upon her pretty face, "Good morning, I'm Mizuno Ami and I will escort you to Osaka-san's room," her voice trying to be pleasant but failing.

"Thank you," I returned the bow, even with her indigo hair and pale face, Mizuno was the perfect picture of a candy striper with her page haircut and good posture.

In the elevator, Mizuno pushed the seventh floor button, which suggested something to me, "Osaka-san has already been moved into a private room?"

The blue-haired girl gave me a measured look, like she was analyzing every filament of my being, before she said, "Yes, Osaka-san is out of immediate danger."

There it was again, that solemn look when she mentioned Osaka's name, so I took a chance, "Is Naru-san your friend?"

There was that analyzing look again, it made me think I had advanced on the evolutionary track in Mizuno's sapphire eyes, but her voice remained calm, professional, "We went to the same junior high school but Naru-chan is more of a friend of a friend than anything else."

Maybe I have an overactive imagination or maybe it was my professional paranoia getting the better of me, but when two people use the same idiom about the same person in less than four hours, I get suspicious.

We reached the seventh floor and when the door opened, there stood an older version of Mizuno in a doctor's uniform, blue hair and studious look included. My action was to follow the candy striper out, where the look-a-like said, "Thank you, Ami-chan, for getting him, but now I need someone to gather up the bedpans on level five."

It doesn't matter how professional you are, some tasks are just disgusting and that was the look Mizuno gave the doctor but she said, "Alright, Mama."

"Good girl," a proud tone to the doctor's voice as we both watched Mizuno get back into the elevator, push a button and the door closed.

"So you are Osaka Naru's physician?" she nodded as I shook her hand, "I'm Rogers Thisbe, I'm a private detective hired to find out where the drug that her boyfriend ingested came from."

Doctor Mizuno had a thoughtful look on her face as I gave my card to her, then she said, "Follow me," I did as she told me and as we walked she said, "This isn't the first time we've met."

"Oh?"

"You don't remember?"

"Uhh . . ."

"Three years ago."

"Hmmm . . ."

"You were in a mix up in Shinjuku and I had to patch you up."

It struck me like a cement truck, "You were teaching at Keio Medical University and I was brought into its hospital, I remember you telling me that when I said . . ." I let my hurried words died when I remember what I said.

"You told me only dry fossils should teach," a lopsided smile on Doctor Mizuno's face, "and that I should use my witchy looks to seduce someone."

"I have an excuse, Doc," talk about my past coming back to haunt me, "the local anesthesia was making me horny," the dubious look on her face had me adding, "Really!"

Mizuno couldn't hold it any longer, she gave me a shy giggle and I felt relief when she said, "It's alright and since we've met before, you can call me, Rikomi."

"Clever person?"

"So you know something about our language beyond street slang."

"I can handle romanji but I'm a bump on a log when it comes to kanji, katakana or hiragana."

"Then why don't you go to a cram school?"

"Got my hands full running my own business."

"So you own Titan Detective Agency?"

"Actually, it's more like a co-op."

"A co-op?"

"You know that biker gang you also patched up that night?"

"How could I forget, their language was as dirty as their bodies were."

"Well, to make a long story short they are working with me and have been for the past three years."

Rikomi frowned at that news but then her blue eyes lit up, "Of course, I must be getting old if I didn't recognize the name of the agency the media has dub . . ."

"Please, Rikomi-san, don't say it," it was just one building, one little building but the Tokyo press didn't let it slide, "me and my girls don't go around blowing up ships and shooting a ton of bullets at cats."

The grin on Rikomi's face showed she knew I was on the ropes, but she yielded, "Alright, I won't say it," then she smirked, "I'll just think it."

"Just as long as I don't read minds and call me, Thisbe," we stopped at a door and I noticed Rikomi's expression turning serious, "Osaka-san's room?"

"Something is happening to Osaka-san," Rikomi's tone betrayed the futility she was feeling right now, "whatever happened in the alley behind the club, something is causing her body to change and I can't identify it, which means I can't find a way to stop it and reverse the process."

"How bad is it?" I had only my training as a medic to fall back on.

"Naru-san's life signs are erratic, her hormone count is 150 percent above normal and there are unidentifiable enzymes in her blood," the look on Rikomi's face told me what she couldn't say, Osaka Naru was moved from intensive care not because she was out of danger; it was because they couldn't do anything for her. The private room was meant to give the girl and her friends some last private moments before she died.

"She hasn't awakened, right?" I knew from personal experience what it was like to lose a patient.

"I already asked a friend of my daughter's, a Shinto shrine maiden, to pray for a miracle," no doctor wants to give up on a patient, Rikomi was no exception.

"Are the parents here?"

"She's an only child, the mother is in another room, I had to sedate her," my question had the opposite effect that I wanted, Rikomi was hurting inside and I was trying to keep her in one piece.

"Can I go in?"

"I think you should," Rikomi looked up at me, ripples of water in her blue orbs, "her friends are inside and maybe they will find comfort that you and your associates are going to stop this from happening to someone else."

"Thank you," I said, "and I will pray for a miracle for your sake, Rikomi-san."

A bittersweet smile from Rikomi was my reward, "If you got time later on, Thisbe-san, maybe you can drop by the hospital's cafeteria for a cup of tea and we can talk about what has happened over the past three years."

"That would be fine," I nodded which Rikomi returned before she stepped to the door and opened it.

The gazes that looked at us put me on edge, the violence from the brunette, the puffy anguish from the odango blonde and the iron protectiveness from the black-haired young man, yet it was the redhead in the hospital bed, the rising and lowering of the blankets covering her was the only thing to counter her frozen features, the plastic tubes and the intermitted beeping of the medical equipment told me of their fragile hope.

"Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Rogers Thisbe," I gave them a short bow, "a private detective hired to find the people who are responsible for Osaka-san's condition," the tall girl at the foot of the bed narrowed her eyes, "and as a personal favor, I would like to ask you to help by answering Rogers-san's questions."

It took a moment for the brunette and the black-haired man to give their nods, the petite girl acted like she didn't hear Rikomi's request. Then the doctor turned to me, "Rogers-san, my I introduce to you Kino Makoto," the tall girl kept her green eyes on me while giving a short bow, "Chiba Mamoru," because he was seated next to the bed with the teary girl in his lap, the youth just nodded, "and Tsukino Usagi," she was wrapped loosely in a pale blue blanket, part of which laid on the bed.

"I'm sorry if you see my intrusion was ill-timed," I said as I put some space between me and Rikomi, "and although I have read the police notes, my experience has shown me that sometimes they will overlook something you might have spotted," the one identified as Makoto had bodyguard written all over her and her scowl showed she wanted to pound someone, anyone, just for some relief.

"We will do our best to help you, Rogers-san," the young man's rich smooth voice made me face him, but from the corner of my eye I saw the brunette visibly force her body to relax.

"Well, I have other patients to see so I'll leave you alone," Rikomi said but when she reached the door, she added to me, "I glad you're here to help," then she walked out and closed the door.

"You know Mizuno-sensei?" Makoto was giving my big body the once over, probably estimating her chances of taking me if I proved dangerous.

"Mizuno-sensei was there when I needed help," I vaguely replied and I got out my palmtop, "and I think she sees me as some kind of white knight."

"Are you?" some doubt in Makoto's question.

"I'm just making a living helping people solve their problems," I opened my palmtop and activated it, then I started the questioning, "from the police notes I gathered Chiba-san and Tsukino-san were going on a double date with Osaka-san and her boyfriend, Umino Gurio, correct?"

"Yes," there was strength behind those unwavering dark eyes, and by the fact he was still dressed in evening wear, it suggest to me both he and Usagi came directly to the hospital from their interrupted date, while Makoto was wearing a combo blue denim pants and coat, suggesting she came from her home, "but we became separated when we tried to avoid the line waiting to get into Club Asia, a dance club."

"Huh, huh," I page down before adding, "you told the police that Umino-san stated he knew of a back way into the club."

"Although I was willing to wait, my girlfriend wanted to try it as did Osaka-san," Chiba's arms protectively around the petite blonde's waist, "but when we tried it, we became separated by the maze of passageways that the rear entrance led us into."

There was something wrong with the odango blonde, was she drugged? Her eyes look unglazed but she hadn't done anything to show she knew I was there. To see if I could get something from the little lady, I stepped forward while saying, "Who first heard Osaka-san's scream?"

Suddenly a hand dropped onto my left shoulder, "You don't need to crowd them, now do you?" I hadn't even heard Makoto move yet she was behind me; her iron grip told me her 5-8 body had a hefty amount of muscle.

"It's okay, Mako-chan," I was caught off-guard by the musical quality of the young blonde's voice, like chimes in the wind, "I first heard Naru-chan's scream."

I turned my head to stare first at the firm hand on my shoulder, then at the tall ginger girl, she continued to stare me down for a moment before she let go, the warning was clear to me, yet it was another movement that caught my eye. Something moved under the part of Tsukino's blanket that laid on Osaka's bed. If the petite blonde was leaning toward her unconscious friend, I assume it's was her hand and they were using the blanket to conceal the fact so the nurses wouldn't object to her holding Osaka-san's shoulder, yet Tsukino was sitting with her back straight, "Who was the first to reach her?" I decided to store this clue for later thought.

"I . . ."

"No, Mamoru-chan," Tsukino looked up at Chiba and shook her head before she looked back at me, "I got there first."

There was a shielded gaze in Chiba eyes, the kind my back told me I was getting from Kino, while on the other hand Tsukino was giving me a clear determined look, "Tsukino-san?"

"Please, call me, Usagi," the weak smile she gave me told me she was hurting inside.

"Okay, Usagi-san," it was very unusual for someone to instantly promoted me to first name basis, especially in this culture, "so can you tell me what you saw?" I was both mildly surprised and a little bit delighted by her sincerity.

"When we got separated, I ended up in the janitor's closet and I was trying to get out when I heard Naru-chan's scream," Usagi's voice sounded to me like it was in a minor key, a sound of broken hopes to it. "I ran as fast as I could until I saw a dead body and I frozen, thinking it was her body," tears split from her eyes, "then Naru-chan screamed to my left and I turned and I saw her," there was no mistaken she was once more reliving the terror, it was plain on her face, "the creature had her pinned facedown on a beanbag, a few pieces of her clothes at her waist and arms," then a new tune joined her voice, self-loathing, "and I watched as the monster repeatedly plunged its thing into my oldest friend, I can still hear her begging for mercy and I did nothing."

"It's okay, Usagi-san," I told her, this was in the police notes and Aiko told me that Osaka was raped but not that her best friend had witnessed it, "if you had tried anything, the creature would've attacked you."

"But you don't understand!" Usagi's shout hit my ears in stereo as she stood up, her blue eyes burning bright, "I should have done something, I'm . . ."

"No, Usako," Chiba immediately came to his feet and hugged her tight from behind, "all my dreams would turn to smoke if I ever lost you."

"But Mamoru-chan . . ."

"No, don't fault yourself, Usagi-chan," Kino spoke from behind me, tough tenderness in her tone, "rape is the worst nightmare for any woman, you freezing at seeing it happening isn't unnatural."

Those words of Kino rang of living experience and then Usagi's face looked confused, her voice lost in uncertainty, "Mako-chan . . ."

"Naru-chan will just have to pick herself up and go on with living," Kino glanced at the unconscious figure breathing slowly.

I hated what I was about to do but I had no choice, "Usagi-san, I need you to tell . . ."

The reaction I got wasn't completely unexpected, my body was spun around and hoisted in the air by two powerful hands grabbing fistfuls of my coat, her lightening green eyes met my baby blues and her voice crackled in my ears, "YOU FREAKING BASTARD! USGAI-CHAN'S best friend was RAPED right in front of her EYES! Isn't that ENOUGH for you?"

Where did this Kino woman get such strength? Except for being above the average height for a Nihonjin she looked like a typical high school student, yet she had my feet doing a space walk, me weighting in at 181 pounds. Add to this was the fact I didn't want to start a fight in Rikomi's hospital, nor with people who I suspected a friend of theirs had hired me, so when I saw a delicate pink hand touch Kino's inflamed face and I heard Usagi's soulful voice said, "Mako-chan, don't," I was relieved.

You could see the effort on Kino's face, her better nature fighting to control her temper and her protectiveness of her friend's privacy, then she set me back on my feet, her hands straightening my coat, a full glare telling me what she would do if I pushed my luck again.

"I'm sorry if I seem heartless," I said as I turned to face Usagi and Chiba, "but something you two might have seen, something the police might have overlooked, could make the difference," I noticed the blanket had fallen from Usagi, she wore a light pink dress with white ribbons running from the shoulders to the wrists, a silver necklace of pearls about her slim neck and an engagement ring on her finger. These things told me how special last night was suppose to be for the teenager, a night she wouldn't forget for other reasons.

The young girl seemed to think for a moment but then her eyes turned sadder, "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can add, the creature left after..." her enchanting voice caught for a second, "after it was done with Naru-chan."

"When I got there, the creature was gone," Chiba said, his tone show he considered the subject closed. That was that, what else could I do but nod my head and the young man shifted his attention back to his girl, "Usako, you look exhausted, why don't I take you home?" then he looked at Kino, "You too, Makoto-san."

"But my relief . . ."

"Is here, Makoto-chan," from the doorway a stage whisper came, there I saw another teenager, her purple eyes as dark as her violet hair which contrasted strongly with the white and red of her Shinto shrine maiden clothes, then she looked at me, "Who is this?"

"This is Rogers Thisbe," Kino's opinion about me was in her tone, "a PI hired to investigate what happened to Naru-chan."

I plastered a smile on my face and gave the newcomer a bow before saying, "Essential correct, I'm trying to find out who manufactured the drug," then with a glance at Chiba, "and I've found even more reasons for finding that information."

"You do?" the lack of sleep registered in Usagi's voice, Chiba holding her a little tighter.

"Yes," I held up one finger, "Chiba Mamoru, a heartthrob for many Tokyoite girls and student at Harvard School of Science for the past year," I held up a second finger, "Hino Rei, shire maiden and heir apparent of the Hikawa Shine as well as being the famous Seer of Fire," and I held up a third finger and took a wild guess, "and Kino Makoto, former leader of the Tsukiji Biker Gang."

Both Chiba and Hino didn't blink an eye at me knowing about their social life, jaded as they are to fame, but it took some wind out of Kino's sail, "How did you know?"

"Naito Suzue," I said simply.

Kino's eyes soften and for the first time I saw a genuine smile on her lips, "Suzue-chan, how is she?"

"I work with her now," it seemed I scored a few brownie points with the ginger girl.

"Mako-chan, you were in a biker gang?" Usagi's sleepiness gave way to her curiosity.

Maybe I didn't score those brownie points, the tall girl looked uncomfortable and she mumbled out, "Yeah," when she saw her answer wasn't going to be accepted at face value, she added, "before I started going to your school, Usagi-chan, after I got kicked out of my former school, I kind of drifted for awhile."

"Oooh, what was it like?" there had to have been a catgirl in Usagi's family tree, I would swear her butt was twitching like she had a tail.

"It was nothing to crow about," Makoto feigned indifference.

"Nothing?" Rei's voice was neutral but her eyes sparkled, "Really, Makoto-chan, for six months you ran the gang that controlled the Tsukiji Fish Market."

This revelation turned two blue lamps onto Rei, "You knew?" the shrine maiden nodded to Usagi's question, "And you never told me?" Boy, this blonde sure could whine.

"Makoto-chan never told you so I fingered I shouldn't either," when Usagi moved pass me to crowd Rei that was when I saw that the back of her dress was all torn up, I wasn't able to get a good look because Chiba effectively blocked my view.

"That was mean," Usagi giving twin pouts to her friends, "both of you," I was having a hard time fitting the clues to what I was seeing, it was now clear to me that Chiba and Kino were trying to conceal the fact that Usagi had been attacked by the creature, but the odango blonde sure didn't act like an attack victim.

"You never asked how come I knew Makoto-chan before you brought her to the shrine," Rei's voice lost its neutrality, getting edgy, "it's her business not mine."

"And it came to an end with the Flounder Rumble," Kino actually cringed when I used the newspaper label for a Yakuza turf war that left only two members of Kino's gang alive, "from what Suzue-chan told me, she got away but the cops collar you."

"Look, let's just say I ended up back in school and leave it at that, okay?" You could tell Kino was getting tired of being tag-teamed by me and the blonde, we two shared a look before nodding together, "Good, we'll leave Rei-chan to watch over Naru-chan."

Usagi took a moment to stare at Naru before being the first out the door with Chiba right behind her, Kino was next and I was last, Hino closed the door for us. I was still putting facts together when the young man said, "Can we give you a lift home, Makoto-san?"

"Nah, it would take you way out of your way," then she gave the twosome a sneaky look, "especially since Mamoru-san is staying with your family during the summer break, Usagi-chan."

Both Usagi and Mamoru let out nervous laughs, which was followed by Mamoru saying, "It's not that bad and it's giving me and her parents a chance to get to know each other a little better."

"In other words, you have to telephone them whenever you two are out late," Kino leered at them, "so Ikuko-san can hide Kenji-san's shotgun."

"You know firearms are illegal in Nihon," from the look Chiba gave Kino, I believed his relationship with Usagi's father could be described as rocky.

"True," she could have pushed it but it looked like to me that Kino was satisfied with getting even over that biker bit.

"I could give you a lift, Kino-san," it was an opening, a chance for me to pump some clues from the ginger girl.

My suggestion caught all of them off-guard but Kino recovered first, "Alright."

"Are you sure, Mako-chan?" the ending of Usagi's question was dotted with a yawn.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Kino reassured them, "you're dead on your feet and Mamoru-san looks like road kill," then she looked at me, "besides I want to hear more about how Suzue-chan is doing."

Maybe I'm the one who is going to get pumped.

Makoto's Apartment, Azabu Juuban

The Kino girl was silent in the elevator and I decided to play the same game, I didn't believe small talk would do anything good and taking blind shots would probably get me a knuckle sandwich with the mood she was in, of course that changed a little when she saw my ride, "Yours?"

"All mine," I said as I tossed her my helmet to wear, "I hope you don't mind getting cozy with me?" I fished out Grandpa's leather helmet from out of one of the metal saddlebags."

"Mind..." Kino's eyes danced with heavy metal lust as her right hand stroked the engine, "Hell, I'll give you an erotic enema for a chance to drive this beauty."

"I'm willing to let you," opportunity was knocking and I wasn't going to ignore it.

Disbelief with etched on her face, "Hey, I was just wisecracking about the shit play."

"Do you know how to work a bike's clutch and brakes?" now that I knew one of her weaknesses, I wasn't going to let her worm out.

"Yeah," Kino's words echo cautious, "as you well know since you know my past."

"Then here," I tossed her the keys.

Kino looked at me like I had grown a second head, "But I'm underage."

"Only if the cops catch us," and I gave her an are-you-chicken grin, "and right now they have more pressing business than to watch out for traffic violators."

Indecision lasted half-a-minute, Kino's desire winning over her suspicions about my motives. She slipped the red-white-and-blue helmet over her head, slapped the visor down and got on the motorcycle. I put the brown helmet on, fitted the goggles over my eyes and got on the bike behind her. The real test came when I snuggled real tight to Kino's backside, my hands resting on the inside of her thighs, but the only reaction I got was a momentary turn of the helmet in my direction, a sideway glance masked by the black visor, before it faced forward as she turned the key.

It was all green all the way to Kino's apartment and I was so glad, the ginger girl had the throttle wide open and she only slowed to make corners. What police and military vehicles we pass paid us no mind, probably thinking we were trying to get out of the typhoon's path. What I found out from my position behind Kino was she had muscles like steel cables with little or no body fat, once her wheels were screaming down the road the tall girl never once let my roaming hands distract her, of course I avoided a few spots that would have gotten me killed. In the underground garage of her apartment complex, Kino stopped my motorcycle in a guest parking spot where she took off the helmet. Her curvy body heaved with her panting and her green eyes burned with hunger satisfied, then she did something I totally didn't expect, she twisted around on the seat and locked her lips on mine.

It was a backbreaker, Kino's powerful arms pulled me hard against her lips, her white teeth clicked against mine; she let go of me before saying, "That was a thank you kiss, Buster, so don't read anything into it."

"I won't," I took a lot of willpower on my part to make those words not reflex my surprise, then something more embarrassing came to the forefront for me, "Uhh . . . can I use your bathroom."

There was that genuine smile again, "Sure," Kino said as she gave me back my key. I put Grandpa's helmet back in the saddlebag and took the helmet from Kino and let it hang from one of the handlebars. I followed her to the elevator.

When Kino let me into her apartment, I let out a slow whistle because from the entrance I saw at least a dozen plants and a quick check on the three in the hallway gave me an idea of what they all were, "this place must drive a bee crazy during springtime."

Kino giggled, the first one I heard from her lips, and I looked at her and found the reason, she was having trouble keeping her eyes open. She saw my concern and said, "It just hit me how sleepy I am," then she made a gesture toward the door on our right, "the bathroom is through that door, I'm going to sit on the couch," indeed there was a sofa in the living room along with tables, cushy chairs and nature's created beauty.

In opening the door I found a bedroom, very much a girl's bedroom, the wallpaper decorated with unicorns, the velvety green bedcover, the white vanity with mother-of-pearl brushes and gold trimmed powder box, a dresser with its top covered with photos lovingly framed in silver and of course plants, one on each table next to the queen-sized bed. I didn't linger to look at the pictures because the bathroom was calling me.

I should have expected it, it was like I had stepped into a rain forest, the walls were covered with creeping vines, they edged the mirror, the basin, the toilet and the shower with living dark green, I let out slow words, "Oh my stars and garters, I wonder if the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce know they have another garden in Azabu-ku."

While I was paying homage to the porcelain altar, I pulled out my cellphone and quick dialed Yajue's number. Each member of Titan Detective Agency has a company cellphone meant to be used for company business only, although our bill said differently, "Yajue here."

"Get the Gemini Twins on conference mode, Number Two," I told her, "I need their Tokyo rumor mill knowledge."

It took a minute for Yajue to hunt down the Twins. Most likely they were in our private rooms, doing something girlish, for the next voice I heard was a double, "Hello, Boss!"

"Kanyo-chan, Sanyo-chan, I'll say some names and you two tell me what you know about them, okay?" being the youngest of our group and the most in on today's trends and beautiful people, I was sure they were know something.

"Yes, Boss!" their twined voices sound hot and ready.

"Chiba Mamoru."

"Yesterday's news, his looks, brains and money put him on every girl's wish list three years ago but he's been out of circulation since he started to date a junior high school student. Rumor has it he bedded her before her fourteenth birthday but their three year romantic relationship has led to him giving her an engagement ring."

"Hino Rei."

"Shinto shrine maiden at her grandfather's shrine, has shown psychic abilities to such an extent that people will go to her with their problems, including the police. Some fear her power and look upon her as evil but many who she helped, call her the Seer of Fire or the Fire Maiden. Hino goes to a Catholic School but isn't a Christian, it's her father's idea for her to go there. Father and daughter barely talk to each other since her mother died."

"Mizuno Ami."

"Teen Wonder, the smartest student in all of Tokyo, has held the number one position on all national tests since she entered elementary school. She is the daughter of Mizuno Rikomi and Mizuno Talya, both extraordinary people. Rikomi-san is a specialist in childhood diseases while Talya is a gifted artist. Rumor has it she is planning to follow in her mother's footsteps."

I thought over what the Gemini Twins told me then I said, "Thank you, you can go back to your game and stay off of my game machine."

There was some grumbling before they said in unison, "Yes, Boss."

When they left, I asked Yajue, "Have you found anything more about the victim."

"Yes, but I don't think you going to like it," Yajue's tone told me she didn't like it.

"I have a bad feeling," I said.

"It's going to get worse," Yajue informed me, "Osaka Naru was in the middle of the attacks on Tokyo citizens during the last three years, the attackers were the people taken out by the Sailor Senshi, led by Sailor Moon."

I was puzzled by Yajue's tone of dread, "I don't get you, lots of people where attacked by those creatures but that doesn't make them important."

"Osaka-san was attacked five times," there was a long silence on my part, which prompted Yajue to ask, "Kone-chan?"

"You're right, it did get worse," another pause from me before I asked, "Anything else."

"Myomi-chan wants us to bring in Tokyo's stray cat population so they'll be safe from the typhoon," some humor in Yajue's voice, "other than that no new news. How about you?"

"Nothing important." Then I remembered, "But tell Suzue-chan that I met an old biker friend of hers, Kino Makoto."

"Will do as soon as she calls in," acknowledgement from Yajue, "Sayonara."

"Hear from you later," I shut the cellphone off, clean my bottom and flushed.

When I reentered the living room, I found Kino out cold on the sofa with her head resting on the top and her mouth wide open, her breathing slow and smooth. Some might take advantage of this moment to noise around but I'm not that kind of person, instead I went to the linen closet and got out an extra pillow and a red-black checkerboard comforter. The tall girl didn't wake when I moved her lengthwise on the couch, the pillow under her head and the blanket draped over her, and I said as I stood looking down at that peaceful face, "Sleep well, Thunderheart."

Kino's eyes didn't open but her mouth did, the words I barely heard, "Call me, Makoto," her breathing told me she didn't even leave dreamland.

I guess I passed another test, of course Yajue would say this proved how much of a marshmallow I am.

Flowers in the Attic, Shibuya-ku

I parked Old Glory outside of Reikyo and made my way to the only lesbian club in Shibuya, Flowers in the Attic, and unlike the other pink establishments that carter to adult pleasures, this place was meant for teenage lesbians. A safe place for them to come, dance, meet others like themselves and stretch their wings, including rooms with one-way mirrors, allowing some privacy while listening to the music and watching colorful sweaty bodies gyrate. I was a little surprised when I saw teens going in and the lack of street noise let me hear the techo-rock every time the door opened-closed. I too went through that same door and there stood Kotoe, a smallish woman with a dynamitic personality and no phony smile for me, "So you're having a hurricane party?" I asked.

"You should've heard the parents call here," unlike some here Kotoe used no makeup, preferring that her lean face to tell people about her nature, "begging us to stay open so they could send their kids here to get them out of their hair."

"No school days can get some parents seeing red," I smirked before getting serious, "I presume the police know about this."

"We got permission to stay open until three tomorrow morning." She nodded her orange-haired head, "by then the kids need to be home or they stay here."

"I think for some of them staying here isn't an option," I gave Kotoe the cover charge, "while for some staying here is the only choice."

"At least it isn't as bad as it is in your country," Kotoe gave me three free drink tokens, "here you only have to deal with parents and family traditions, there you have people on the radio and television calling you sinners and freaks, trying to turn your life into a living Hell."

"The road to perdition is paved with good intentions," this was an old argument between me and Kotoe, she was an activist in the Tokyo lesbian community and here I am, an American she sees as a redneck, a bluenose and wearing a white sheet. I changed the subject, "Is Torami-chan here?"

"Torami-san is in number three," Kotoe nodded toward the door on the on the other side of the bar, "she said you were coming."

As I worked my way between the tables and then the dancing teens, the mix of sweat, perfume and musk produced a heady sexual potion I could scarcely resist, but it was the looks they gave me that really stopped me, looks telling me I was an invader and not welcome. Once I reached the door with the number three on it, it opened before I had a chance to knock and Torami's smiling face welcomed me, "I found your mole, Boss."

I looked over the girl and I saw a knockout, she looked to be around my age, white hair that flowed down the chair she sat in until it touched the floor, her ripe hourglass figure under an elegant red dress and features that spoke of European heritage, her reddish-brown eyes and full red lips gave me an itch between my legs, which clued me into what she was, "Torami-chan, what's her name?"

"Her name is Najaekav Aisha," Torami-chan's black eyes showed pity, "she's the piece of ass of Asano Isaburo, the Chem King of a good piece of Tokyo," then she place a hand on my arm, "please, be nice to her, she's a slave."

I didn't see any marks on Torami's neck but her downy blue shirt looked disheveled, her voice off keyed, so I told her, "You head back to HQ and I'll take over here."

Torami looked back at Aisha, the ivory-skinned woman nodded her head, "Okay, Boss."

When I couldn't see one hair of Torami's apricot hair, I stepped in and closed the door and I kept my eyes from looking directly into the woman's gaze, even when she said, "Are you afraid of me?"

In one fluid motion I was next to Aisha, my left knee pinned her waist to the chair while my right hand grabbed the hair near her scalp and pulled down her head back and down, then I said in my best Carpathian, "Leave the child alone, she is under my protection, take from her again and I will leave a part of you at every crossroad throughout Wallachia."

There was red animal rage in Aisha's eyes, her fanged mouth hissing at me, she tried to throw me off but I used leverage and my free arm to keep me on her, my cold rage keeping at bay her attempt to dominate me like she had Torami. Finally she slumped in defeat and said in perfect Carpathian, "If you kill Isaburo, I will tell you what you seek and I will immediately return to my homeland."

"Why don't you do it yourself, blood maiden," I was curious despite the danger I was in.

"He is my master, I cannot raise my hand against him," at that moment I saw fear in those blood eyes.

It could be a trick and I didn't plan to take any chances, I pushed my knee into Aisha's gut and pulled her hair down, the wind fleeing her open mouth, "No tricks, Najaekav, or you will taste garlic."

"I swear . . . on my sire's blood . . ." Aisha used the air as soon as she sucked it in, "I will speak . . . only the truth."

"Speak!" I shouted to keep my rage burning, "How did a child of the night end up the sex slave of a chemical supplier of the Yakuza?"

"I disobeyed my sire and he punished me by selling me into slavery," Aisha's face showed her shame of that judgment, "it was by chance I was brought by Isaburo," she spat out the name.

Once more I yank down hard on her hair and when she let out a painful screech, I slammed my forehead right between her eyes. God it was like I bounced my head against a brick wall but it had the desired results, Aisha's eyes rolled into the back of her head. In that moment of the vampire's semi-consciousness, I used both my arms to yank up on the chair, balancing it, Aisha and myself on my right leg before ramming it down with our combined weight on the wooden legs. They splintered on the first try just as I hoped they would, the shock of my success unscrambled the white-haired undead's brain but before she could act, I had a sixteen-inch piece of wood poised over her heart, my words as sharp as its point, "New offer, bloodsucker, you tell me what I want to know and you get to go home with a whole heart."

There was real fear in Aisha's gaze, her broken nose showing signs of swelling and blood trickled from both nostrils. She could have been thinking of throwing me off, hoping my first strike would miss her heart, but that fear became muted, her blood eyes show something I could easily identify, homesickness, "I accept."

Those two words were all I needed to hear since Grandpa once told me that such immortals live by a strict code of honor, they had to because their alliances, friendships and loves need to exist for centuries, hidden amongst mortals, the prey who would kill if bloodshed reveal their existence. In seconds I used my left hand to grasp her right hand and used her as a counterweight to pull us both onto our feet, her face showed surprise when my right hand tossed the makeshift stake away, pulled my green handkerchief out and offer it to her, "Sorry about the shiners, Najaekav, but I can't afford to get into a rumble with the Yakuza because I snuffed out one of their suppliers," I motioned my head towards the door, "too many kids like Torami depend on me."

"You speak good Carpathian," Aisha accepted my offer, she no longer looked like a male sex fantasy, just a real good looking woman, "and you know our ways," her voice going nasal as she whapped the blood from her upper lip, "who taught you?"

I smiled at the shift in Aisha's demeanor toward me, she had no choice because honor was everything in the underground society, "My Grandpa was a OSS agent in Europe during World War Two and he ran Operation Seraphim for the CIA after the war," her face showed she was trying to remember what I was talking about, but her frown told me something so I asked, "How old are you?"

Aisha looked embarrassed, "Eighty years old," I smirked and her look deepened, "I was sired in 1947."

"No wonder," I shook my head, "you were just a pup and you still are."

"Now wait a minute," wounded pride in Aisha's voice, "there's nothing wrong with my techni..."

"You overplayed the vamp, vamp," I looked around and spotted the intercom, "and I might have let it go if you hadn't put the bite on Torami."

"I had to know if you are an honorable person," Aisha tipped her head back and continued to hold my hankie against her nose, "I had to make sure you wouldn't betray me to Isaburo."

"How long have you been in Tokyo?" the vampire's words puzzled me, I walked over to the intercom.

"Seven years," Aisha kept an eye on me, "why?"

"Seven years and you don't know my reputation," I hit the red button, "Zeggi-san, can you send up two aspirin and a Blood Moon."

"Yes sir," the bartender reply just heard above the background music.

"Isaburo kept me a prisoner in his home," you couldn't miss the hate in Aisha's voice, "bringing me out whenever he wanted to do something strange."

"Like?" I knew Isaburo's reputation for being a sociopath but firsthand knowledge would help me fill out the picture.

There was silence, Aisha's face a captive of warring emotions, anger, hate, pain and shame, I waited and my patience was rewarded, "When I needed blood, he would starve me for three or four days until I was crazy with bloodlust," I was amazed to watch this proud vampire crumple to floor, "then he would bring in a runaway, a girl with barely a swell to her chest and a few hairs on her twat," her eyes staring straight ahead, seeing her past, "and he would have me blood bond with them and make the girls his sex slaves."

A knock on the door interrupted Aisha, I opened the door and a waitress was there with my order, "Thank you, miss," my tip ringed on her tray and took the medicine and the tall crystal glass.

"My pleasure, Kone-chan," her pretty face framed by a girlish grin.

I looked closely, only a few outside the gang knew my nickname, and I saw the darker red underneath the candy red wig, "Ashimi-chan, when did you get here?"

"I was here before you were," Ashimi scoped up my tip before I thought to take it back, "Yajue thought you should have backup because of the rep hanging around Isaburo's people," then she looked around me and stared at Aisha, "and I also got Torami-chan a cab," her gaze unforgiving, "because she was so wasted."

"Good job, Ashimi-chan," I added with a nod, "now go and keep a lookout."

"Yes, Boss," then as Ashimi reached for the doorknob, she asked, "Hey, how do I look in my waitress uniform?"

I didn't miss Ashimi's come-on tone but I decided to indulge her flight of fancy, "the yellow miniskirt matches your eyes but I would drop the bobby socks, they make you look like pervert bait."

Ashimi thought for a moment before she grinned, "Okay, Boss," and she closed the door.

As I walked toward Aisha, she continued, "Sometimes we would do threesomes, Isaburo pounding her snatch and me ripping her asshole with an overlarge dildo, sometimes he would have us act out one of his sick sex fantasy, dress up in costumes, speak phony lines and go down on each other."

I knelt next to her and switched my handkerchief for the aspirin and the glass of dark red liquid, "Take these," I said and she did along with the glass' contents, "It's pig's blood, it might not be human blood but it will help in the healing."

"Thank you," then Aisha continued, "Those that wouldn't break, Isaburo had me drain dry and then have the corpses fed to his dogs," there was so much pain in her words, "those that were broken, he had me empty their souls and they became vacant vessels that would do whatever they were told. Isaburo would give them to his friends, partners and associates as living sex dolls."

An idea struck me, "But they were more than just sex toys?"

"Yes," so much shame in Aisha's reply, "they were Isaburo's eyes, ears and sometimes hands."

It was chilly to know they were such human monsters like Isaburo around and I try not to let myself get jaded by their numbers, "Isaburo must've had a password, something that would trigger his already given orders."

"He did," Aisha nodded, "give my soul to keep."

I was disgusted. I'm not a Catholic or someone who carries his religion on a cross, but using the Lords Prayer as a part of his sickness got to me, "He kept you on a short leash?"

"Isaburo would confine me to a special set of secret rooms deep in his compound," she swallowed the last of the pig's blood, "there were times when only my nature told me when it was day or night."

"Then how did you get here?" I was suspicious, if Isaburo kept her so under his control, how could she get out.

"Today is my last day of my punishment so Isaburo sent men to kill me," Aisha looked at me, her smile like a saw blade, "but not enough and I escaped."

"He won't stop looking for you until you are either destroyed," Aisha's shark grin made me glad she believe in the code, "or beyond his reach."

"Isaburo won't send out enough men to find me," disgust plain on her pale face, "he is too enamored with his new toy."

"Who?"

"Not a who," if you thought Aisha was angry before, the look she gave me now was deadly, "it's a what."

Clues click together inside my brain, "The new designer drug."

"After eight years of building up his chemical supply empire, Isaburo brought what he was always wanted, his own labs to manufacture designer drugs."

"Whose labs?" I had a feeling I wasn't going to like the answer.

"Tomoe Research," the tone of Aisha's answer told me she knew why I suddenly felt uneasy.

"But the lab was destroyed when the Infinity Compound went up in smoke," I had to point that out.

"Tomoe Research had two more labs," Aisha's expression made worse my uneasiness, "one in Yokohama and one under the Tower Records Building."

It couldn't be happening again, I was sure that nightmare ended a year and a half ago, but now it was coming back, some sex fiend looking to create designer drugs was resurrecting something best left dead, "Deathbusters."

(End of Part One)


	3. Chapter 3

Story Title: Full Moon Fever

Series Title: House of the Holy

By Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" is the property of Troy "Silver" Stanton. This is here because several of the concepts I'm going to use in this series originated with Troy and his wonderful series. "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" can be found at:

My e-mail addresses are:

This is the second installment to this Sailor Moon series. At first this story will appear to be totally separate from the first installment but they are connected. Many will notice that I'm paying homage to the great detective novels of Dashell Hammett, Eric Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. If you don't recognize any of these authors, then maybe you will know their creations, Sam Spade, Perry Mason and Philip Marlowe.

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult scenes, so minors should get parental permission before reading this series.

Copyright: September 19, 2004

Proofreader: Lanis

Timeline: This installment takes place fifteen days after the first installment of "House of the Holy: Temptation and Seduction."

Tower Records Building, Shibuya-ku

Pulling out Grandpa's tanned trench coat from my bike's saddlebags so Aisha could wear it and my helmet, I took her on my bike to the Narita Airport, located 66 clicks outside of Tokyo. Contrary to popular belief vampires don't turn into ashes when exposed to direct sunlight, instead they end up looking like badly burnt toast. You might wonder why I worried about Aisha's safety. I was but I couldn't afford Isaburo being tipped off of someone nosing around his operation should his men capture her. Besides I was keeping my bargain with the vampire, information on Isaburo in return for a one-way trip to Transylvania. I'm sure you are speculating as to why I accepted Aisha being a supernatural creature and my quick response to her attempt to seduce me? Let me just tell you for now that Aisha wasn't my first encounter with things that go bump in the night.

We didn't say anything important while we waited for her flight to get ready, Aisha had fulfilled her part of the agreement and I was making sure she was heading home. I watched her go down the tunnel to her plane, she never once looked back and I don't blame her, her experience in Tokyo were eight years in Hell. Maybe these years would change her for the better or change her for the worse; I don't have a handy crystal ball to find out.

Anyway, I'm sitting sidesaddle on Old Glory, munching down a mix of tempera shrimp, scallops, fish and sweet potatoes, washing it down with iced coffee, the black bitterness prepping my taste buds for the next bite. This break for a quick lunch allowed me to case the Tower Records building. According to Yajue the Tower Records Building was built in the early 90s, about the time when Doctor Tomoe was starting to make a name for himself as a pioneer in genetic engineering. I wouldn't be surprised if Yajue discovered a loan from the Infinity Bank helped in this building's construction. It wasn't until I had finished my meal my gaze zeroed in on the self-made men coming out of the front door. Too many coming out at the same time to be coming here to get something to read or listen to, despite the yellow bags in their hands.

The question for me to answer was how was I going to get a look and see if there was a lab in the building's basement or not, with security cameras at all the entrances there was no chance of my big frame going undetected and guarded entrances to the underground would bring the Yakuza down on me and my partners. I could take the information I gathered to Aiko but there was no guarantee it was legitimate, one source doesn't make a case. If we are working indirectly for the police as I suspected, and if they do a raid but find no lab, the reputation of Titan Detective Agency would suffer. No, I had to get some hard evidence which means I had to get in, discover if the lab does exist, get the physical evidence necessary to prove its existence and then get out in one piece.

My cellphone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, "Hello."

"I hit pay dirt."

"Good work, Odaijiko-chan," the longhaired girl was one of the few people I knew who didn't flinch at going down into the filth and the stench of Tokyo's sewers, "is Yajue-chan there with the package?"

There was a moment paused, my guess is the white blonde giving the phone to Yajue, "Here, Kone-chan, with your stuff."

"I'll be there as soon as I stash my bike," I broke contact. Forty-five minutes later I was making my way to their position, thank the heavens I like to wear my army boots when I'm on a case, they come in real handy when you have to slog through waste water, dead rats and shit.

"Boss, is that you?" A voice came out of the darkness ahead of me.

"No, it's Herman Munster," I was barely able to not gag on the air coming into my mouth.

A flashlight was turned on but angled so it wouldn't blind me, there I saw a slightly green-faced Yajue and a smiling Odaijiko, her longhair gathered into a protective bun, her body like Yajue covered in yellow rubberized clothes, the red lettering on their suits designated them as working for Tokyo Waste Water. "It's over here," only Odaijiko could be cheerful in this muck.

When I reached them, Yajue gave me my large package while Odaijiko swung the flashlight around to reveal a door about ten feet away from us, "I checked it out before calling you and it looks like the doors hasn't been opened for a long time."

"There's something else too," Yajue was trying to be a trooper but she sounded like she would heave any moment.

"Yeah," Odaijiko affirmed as she pointed the light beam to the side opposite the door. A tunnel was there but it wasn't concrete or brick, it was nice shinny steel.

"Want to lay odds that the tunnel is a direct pipeline to the Infinity Compound," both Yajue and Odaijiko shook their heads. "If you believe in what the news media said, this would explain why this place wasn't taken out by the Sailor Senshi when they nailed the good doctor."

"What about the lab in Yokohama?" Yajue asked.

"The Sailor Senshi don't seem to venture outside of Tokyo," I replied, "so it was probably safe as long as it didn't become his main lab."

"Kone-chan, are you sure we can't help you," Odaijiko spoke up, her gloved hand pulling out a stun gun from her pants pocket, Yajue pulled out her own Bowie knife.

"If they spot me, my threads won't give me away but we can't afford the cameras to get a look at either one of you," I tried to give them a gentle refusal because we were part of the same gang after all.

"Oh po," Odaijiko pouted while putting away her stun gun, "I'm going to miss out on all the action again."

"Hey, nutcase," Yajue chuffed Odaijiko's shoulder but gently, "This isn't a game you know."

"I know but I miss the rumbles," Odaijiko whined back, "now whenever it gets interesting, I'm the one put on the sidelines with the others."

"Odaijiko-chan, you did a great job finding this door for me," I smiled at Odaijiko fearless nature, "and I'll let you know if I need you to come off the bench to pitch-hit for me."

That got a smile out of Odaijiko, "Okay, Boss!"

"You two get going," I returned to business as I carefully made my way to the door.

"See you later, Thisbe-chan," Yajue returned.

"Yes, you will," I waved with my free hand and watched them following the flashlight's beam down the dark sewer.

Once they were gone I turned on my own penlight and held it with my mouth while opening my package and taking out a small vial. Removing about an inch of pliable white mush, I pressed the vial into the keyhole, followed by a flame from my lighter. I quickly pulled back as a two-inch bluish flame shot out from the opening and edges of the opening glistened from the high heat. Taking hold of the door handle and carefully put my weight against it, a metallic snap told me the bolt broke and it opened inward. Using the penlight to show the insides of the entrance, I found an empty room with a staircase going up.

Once I entered the room and closed the door, it was time for me to empty the rest of the stuff out of my package but before that I had to strip down to my undies. I slipped on a navy blue jumpsuit and pulled back on my boots, put on a red-white-and-blue jacket with Old Glory on my back, then buckled on the ammo belt and tied down the filled holster on my right hip. Lastly I slipped the oblong helmet onto my head, a nice little gadget that gave my eyes access to infrared, ultraviolet and starlight vision. The helmet could also stop a 45 caliber slug as could the jacket. Kevlar dragon skin does wonder when it comes to stopping bullets; they could still knock you off your feet but at least you won't end up dead.

I know what you are thinking, another costumed egoist, but I'm sorry to disappoint you that this is only the third time in three years and a half years that I put this getup on. The only time I use it is when I don't want my activities to bring deadly attention to Titan Detective Agency. As for the Desert Eagle on my hip, I have found knowing Gun-fu is just as critical as knowing Kung-fu.

The soft soles of my boots made little noise on the metal steps as I used my penlight to show me the way. Reaching the door at the top, I found it unlocked and found it strange the door opened outward, it actually led to the rear of a janitor closet. Obviously this was Doctor Tomoe's secret entrance to his underground lab and he wanted it kept that way too. Avoiding the mops, buckets, brooms and dustpans was simple and when I silently cracked open the room's door. It revealed a hallway bathed in defused light and three Yakuza men with a brown-haired teenage girl.

"It's my turn to be first with her," said the man with a flattop haircut, his right hand smoothly pushed the girl toward the door. The vacant look coming from the girl's brown Western eyes, her knee-high pastel dress and her bare feet told me she was one of Isaburo's sex dolls.

"Alright, Toku-kun," the man with the broken nose said before he turned to the other man, "but I'm next."

"Fine by me, Sawa-kun," the with the facial scar running down from his right ear to his chin, "she's as good on the third banging as she is on the first banging."

Their words covered me pulling out a small device from my ammo belt but I waited until the girl and the one identified as Toku went into the room, then as the two Yakuza continued to talk I placed the device on the floor and pushed the button on the back.

It was a few seconds before one of the Yakuza men heard the device moving toward them, "Sawa-kun, look at that?"

"Huh?" the Yakuza turned, looked and said, "It looks like some kid's toy." Indeed, it was whined up Sailor Mars toy they saw coming at them on tiny wheels.

"I wonder how it got down here?" neither man reacted as it stopped at their feet.

"In the name of the Mars, I will punish you," a voice came from the wheeled figure.

Both men laughed at the statement, "It is cute," admitted Scar Face while he picked it up, "probably one of the lab boys brought it for his kid and lost it down here."

It was surprised looks they had when the top of Sailor Mars doll's head flipped back and a red balloon began to inflate from the small cavity, "Look, Sailor Mars flipped her lid!" Broken Nose chuckled.

"Sailor Moon must've teased her about Yuuichirou," Scar Face explained, both of them showed no fear at how large the balloon was getting, it was evident they expected it to pop so they show no real surprise when it did, which was their mistake for the balloon's rubbery shell immediately covered their faces. I watched for five minutes as the Yakuza men stumbled about, their screams muted and clawing at their faces but unable to penetrate the elastic second skin with their fingernails, finally both ended up on the floor outside the door, their bodies unmoving.

"Thank you, Artemis Gordon," I said as I opened the door and walked down the hallway to the other end, noticing a door at both ends, it was clear to me that these three were suppose to guard these doors but they had decided to take a break together, a mistaken thought on their part that they would be alerted of any intruder by the guards above them.

"I'm not finished yet!" a heated shout came when I opened the door to where the man had taken the girl. It was a bathroom and the sound of flesh hitting flesh came from the far stall along with deep grunts and high-pitched moans. Automatically I reached into my ammo belt and pulled out a stun gun with a wire attached to it. The stall was open and when I looked, I had clear view of the girl pinned to the toilet seat by the Yakuza, him slamming his prick deep and hard into her cunt and his hands savagely mauling her tits, he harshly groaned, "I'm coming . . . I'm coming..."

I decided to help, so in two silent steps my left hand grabbed the back of his head and I smashed his forehead into the tiled wall above the toilet, at the same time my right hand jammed the stun gun into the flesh just behind his balls and my right thumb flicked the switch, his screams echoed off the wall and his body withered. I kept the power on until he fainted, and then pulled him off the girl. Without his weight she fell to the floor while I stuck his head into the bowl and held his head underwater. After being sure he was dead, I let go and dragged in the two corpses. Finally I checked the girl but her expression hadn't change, a dry sweated vacant face. I helped her stand but I didn't have time to clean her up like I wanted to, instead I carried her to the janitor closet, "What is your name?" I asked her in English.

"Mary," she said in heavily accented English, it was the first time she showed she was conscious of her surroundings.

"Okay, Mary," I put her down with her back against the secret door. "Honey, I want you to stay here, okay?"

She nodded but the vacant look remained, Mary was probably not her real name, her English was Japanese English so I guess she was a sex doll trained to be a Western teenager, just to add kicks to the user's sick fantasies. I rearranged the mops and brooms to conceal her so in a minute I was back to where the two Yakuza had died and thought for a minute about which way to go; I went left through twin doors.

The first thing I found on the other side was a clean room, with plenty of white environmental suits and two sterilization booths plus a few odds and ends. When I reached the other side of the room and looked through the windows in the opposite doors, the view showed me several lab tables filled with scientific equipment, beakers filled with chemicals, everything a good drug lab needed to make its poison. It was all the evidence necessary for me once I pulled a camera from my ammo belt, and I would have been out without a hitch except for a loud click and twelve little words, "Who the FUCK are you and how did you get in here?"

Surrender to the Yakuza wasn't an option so since the twin doors hadn't swung close that meant the man's frame was keeping them open, giving me his proximate location, thus with leg strength alone I threw myself sideways left, twisting my body at the same time so my left hand could toss six black ping-pong sized balls at him. The rounds of his and another man's 36 caliber pistols help me to spin, but there was something those bozos forgot and I wasn't thinking about it either; take into account what is behind your target, in this case unarmored doors. The explosions from my grenades was like someone breaking wind when compared to the blast that came out of the lab, the manmade thunder drowned out the screams of people dieing in the inferno within the room. I didn't know what those bullets had hit and it was one of the sterilization booths that kept my butt from getting flash burn, the only thing I knew I had to do was grab Mary and get out of here before Death came to pick up passengers.

Then a monkey wench was thrown into my plans when I try to exit. A rain of lead bounced me back into the room, my coat handling the slugs. I pulled out my .50 cal while I lay on the floor. I counted four guns firing at me, so there was at least that number of men, they probably came from the floor above, hearing the explosions from below; just my luck they responded so quickly. I still had some tricks in my ammo belt but I didn't want to use them all up, so I inched my head out a little so I could look down the hall. I saw four men, two at the T and the other two at the entrance of the staircase going up, the helmet gave me the distance to all four targets and I lined up on the guys at the staircase, four shots from my Desert Eagle and one guy went down with a head shot, the other one fell into the entrance; I couldn't tell if I killed him, wounded him or missed, the only thing I could tell was the other two doubled their output of cold iron, enough for me to roll back into cover.

But there wasn't anymore cover, the explosions behind me continued and even with the automatic sprinklers going on, they didn't stop the fire from spread and the increase in heat told me it wasn't going to be long before I was going to end up a roast. It was now I saw the large oxygen canister in one corner of the not so clean room. I swore under my breath, if the flames got to it the explosion would finished this room and give me a one-way ticket to the pearly gates. Without thinking I rushed over, picked up the metal tube and used the momentum of my run back to hoist it as far down the hallway as possible. Slugs from the two remaining Yakuza sent me tumbling to the ground but they didn't penetrate my coat, but what I didn't except was the pulse of light the senses in my helmet picked up, just before twin jets of bluish flame came from two small holes in the cylinder and then it exploded, continuous screams filled the air.

There wasn't any time to be cautious, I ran out of the inferno and slid to a stop at the T, one man was holding what was left of his face with both hands while the other one stared at his own guts on the floor. With only a second pause I sprint to the upward staircase, both Yakuza were dead so I closed the door, plastered some C-4 in the door crack and added a gyro-fuse. Next I head back, pass the guards and into the janitor closest, there I found Mary but not in the position I left her, she wasn't against the secret door, instead she was to one side of it. I decided right then I had to know before self-doubts put it out of my mind, "Give my soul to keep."

My words instantly focused Mary's eyes and they showed intelligence, "Yes, Master."

"Who moved you?"

"Sailor V."

Toranomon Hospital, Minato-Ku

"Why must the young always pay for the sins of the elders?"

It wasn't a question Rikomi wanted answered, the angry misery in her lake blue eyes told me there was no answer she would accept as valid. If I had known her a little better I would have taken her right hand in my left hand and given it a reassuring squeeze, but right now the only thing I could do was stand there and act vengeful, "The monster who did this is going to be reincarnated as bacteria if I have any say about it."

Rikomi nodded her agreement, "Her clothes showed dried stains, both semen and vaginal, and my preliminary examination showed both her vagina and anal cavity had been . . . abused," the blue-haired doctor wanted to use a more profane word but her professionalism stopped her. What Rikomi was reacting to was Mary sleeping in a hospital bed, her breathing normal but her body laying under the covers like a life-sized doll, "I've seen children suffering from psychological trauma before but this is worse than anything I have experienced, her actions to vocal commands are automated, devoid of any thought."

"Mary was 'programmed' to be a sex doll," I knew I was being cruel in my description, "and if her former master knew I had brought her here, he would order her to jump from this room and she would do it."

"Neither he nor any of his ilk will find her here," a icy look on Rikomi's face matched the glow of the full moon raising in the afternoon sky, "I promise you."

"I just hope someone can help her," I was grasping for straws, "it's the reason I brought her here," I was back in my business suit, my costume, my gun and my bike hidden in nearby underground parking lot before I carried Mary into the emergency room.

"Teen Psychology is outside my expertise but hypnosis might help her," then a thoughtful look touched Rikomi's features, "and I think I know someone who can do it."

"The best I can do is to pray." I then switched subjects, "How is Osaka-san doing?"

"Osaka-san came out of her coma at three-eleven this afternoon but she immediately fell into a deep sleep," Rikomi's face brighten while she spoke, "which is normal for a someone who has gone through so much trauma."

"I'm sure Osaka's friends will be happy," I asked my next question, "which remains me, I need to talk to Osaka-san's friends again."

"Right now my daughter's boyfriend is watching over Osaka-san," most parents I knew wouldn't have mentioned their daughter's sweetheart with such fondness but Rikomi did.

"A good catch?"

"Urawa-san isn't in my daughter's league, of course no one else is," was that a mother's conceit I heard or a doctor's logical opinion, "but he is kind and he has a strong will," Rikomi was going to add something else Rikomi but then she moved the subject back to my original question, "Tsukino-san and Chiba-san won't be here for another hour if you wanted to talk to them."

"Do you think I could talk to your daughter?" Rikomi gave me a cagey look, "I got the impression that your daughter was a friend of a friend of Osaka-san."

The doctor thought for a minute before she nodded, "Yes, Rogers-san, you can find her with Urawa-san in Osaka-san's room."

"Thank you," I turned to the door while adding, "and don't worry, we'll get to have tea together sometime soon."

"See you later," Rikomi's tone showed that she did want to see me again.

I went up the stairs to the next floor and I saw the candy striper heading toward Osaka's room with a metal pitcher, "Mizuno Ami?"

"Eh, yes?" as Ami turned to face me, I was once more struck by how her rich blue hair and bright pink uniform made her look like an albino, even though her eyes were blue instead of pink, maybe it was something she picked up from her father.

"Your mother gave me per . . ."

Suddenly I saw Ami's head snapped to her left, her eyes grew wide, "No," left her lips as she bounded for the door, her hand turning the doorknob at the same time her shoulder hit the door. I was startled by her interruption but I quickly made up for my lag time when the opened door allowed me to hear a rumbling growl.

I swear I'll never make fun of any anime plotline ever again. Seeing a red-haired furious catgirl cornering a terrified teenage boy, him holding a metal chair like an old-fashioned lion tamer. Our barging into the room got her attention and she let out a high-pitched howl, this distraction allowed the young man the chance to try to pin her with his chair.

"RYO, DON'T!" Ami shouted but it was to late, wearing a medical gown the catgirl heard the brown-haired youth's movement and instantly dropped under the stabbing legs of the chair and threw her left leg into his stomach, sending the boy into the corner where he curl up into a ball.

"RYO!" It was all Ami got to do because from her crouched position, the catgirl leaped at the blue-haired girl but I saw it coming, my right hand grabbing the metal pitcher from the candy stripper's hand, elbowing her out of way while I turned the object upside-down so I could fill it with the catgirl's head.

It worked, the redhead catgirl's head fitted nicely but it didn't keep her from raking my chest with her ten three-inch claws and turning my coat and vest into spaghetti. I returned the favor with a combination into her stomach followed by a right uppercut. Going toe-to-toe with the catgirl was a mistake on my part, my shots to her body didn't seem to affect her and the uppercut hurt my hand while it knocked the pitcher off her head, the only good that came from my action was it allowed Ami to get to the fallen boy.

This was the opportunity the catgirl was waiting for, in a lightening move she darted to my left, using the bed as a springboard so she could get around me and out the door. I tried to follow her but I slipped and fell on my back, due to me forgetting about the water from the pitcher.

"Ami . . . chan . . . that's the . . . first time . . . you've called me . . . just Ryo," I heard the boy say those words as I used the bed to help me back onto my feet, a second pause allowed me to see him staring up at the kneeling girl, his expression a mix of pain and charm.

"Oh, Ryo-kun," Ami's pale face made her blush stand out, her lap cradled his head as he continued to hold his stomach, blue eyes met brown eyes.

I couldn't waste anymore time and the look of the hallway told me so, the wake of the catgirl full of male nurses wounded, tables overturned, patients lying on the polished floor. My target was opening the door to the staircase and I got to the door before it even closed, hot on her trail. Seven, six, five floors but by the time I reached four, I could tell the distance between us was increasing due to my bulk so I took a shortcut. At three I jumped over the guardrail and plunged down the middle, thirty feet.

Pain shot up my legs when I landed on the metal floor, my body crouched and rolled as I tried to lessen the shock to my feet, but I did it correctly and suffered no broken bones. In turn I rolled up onto my feet and faced the catgirl. The green-eyed creature didn't stop when she came off the stairs but she didn't go for me, instead she tried for the first floor exit, which gave me the opening to slip behind her and put her in a full nelson, lifting her feet off the floor due to our difference in height. Another mistake on my part because it allowed her to swing her clawed feet into my face, their impact knocked my head back and loosen my hands behind her neck, thus allowing her to spin out of my grip.

The catgirl was out the door and into the hospital's main entrance. I was right behind her and slowly gaining ground, hospital personnel was getting in her way but that changed when she smashed through the closest shatterproof glass window, the red-haired ball of fur and claws went through it like it wasn't there. Once outside the catgirl's clawed feet had the advantage in traction and she began to pull away from me. I couldn't let her get away but there was nothing I could do to stop her, my equipment was with my bike and there wasn't anything handy I could throw at her to slow her down. In another five minutes I slowed to a jog before coming to a stop, sucking in big breaths while hoping inside that the police and the military wouldn't shoot her on sight.

Just then Ami came up to me, "She got away?" her tone was normal and she wasn't panting from her run; she probably took the elevator.

I nodded with my hands on my knees and it wasn't until I got enough air into blood before I asked, "That was Osaka-san, wasn't it?"

It was strange how the combination of the sitting sun and the big moon above made her eyes look steel-blue, "Yes, it was Naru-san."

"I better get my gear and go after her," I straightened up and I reached into my coat pocket to get my cellphone so I could alert the gang, but I was puzzled when I found nothing and looking at what was left of my coat and found I didn't have a coat pocket.

"No you not," Ami grabbed my left arm and turned me around, I was surprised by her strength, her free hand reached up and touched my face, "your face is bleeding and those cuts need to be cleaned and stitched," she showed me that her fingers were covered with blood.

"But . . ."

"No buts, come," her words compelling me to go with her almost as much as her hands, "Mom wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I let you run off."

"Okay," I resigned myself to the situation, "You're the doctor."

"Not yet," I could see why her boyfriend liked her, she had a sweet smile, "but I will be."

"So you're going to follow in your mother's footsteps?" now with the adrenaline starting to be flushed out of my system, I began to feel the pain from my facial cuts and I took out a handkerchief.

"Yes," she looked up at me with her sapphire eyes assertive, "I want to help people."

I dabbed my wounds with the white silk, my thoughts thinking about how the light caused Ami's eyes to vary their shade of blue, putting it down to just one of those genetic things, "You sound just like your mother."

Ami was such a small package next to me, "Thank you for the compliment," but then she gave me a determined smile, "but you are still coming with me," I laughed a little and Ami lightly giggled.

Back at the hospital it was Rikomi who took over, she used tweezers and a magnifying glass to pull slivers of glass from my face while I sat on a medical table, "Rogers-san, are you sure you are not related to a certain gentleman named, Frankenstein, you seem unable to stay out of trouble."

"I'm fine just as long as I don't ignore the angry villagers rule," I decided to add my own humor to the mix before getting serious, "how's your daughter's boyfriend?"

"Urawa-san suffered bruised abdominal muscles where his back hit the wall and where Naru-san kicked him," Rikomi tried to keep her tone professional but it wasn't working, "but X-Ray showed no fractured bones or damage to his spine, so he will remain in the hospital for observation for a couple of days."

"I'm somewhat surprised at how quickly you concluded that Naru is the catgirl," then a sting of pain hit me, "Ouch."

"You shouldn't talk while I'm picking glass out of your face," Rikomi suggested, "and I should have seen this coming with Naru-san, all the evidence pointed at a physical transformation going on inside of her but I failed to accept the possibility."

"Don't be hard on yourself, Rikomi-san, supernatural creatures are not something you expect to encounter," I put as much sympathy as could while barely moving my lips.

"You don't understand," Rikomi's tone showed she didn't want my pity, "a doctor battles against a horde of creatures that would frighten the average person if he or she had really any understanding of their true nature," then I notice a new look on her pretty face, "but you didn't have any problem understanding who it was nor did you show any doubts about it being a catgirl, why?"

"This isn't the first time I've run into a supernatural being," I murmured, "about a year ago my associates and I had the misfortune of running into a creature known in India as a rakshasa."

I could see Rikomi's hands pause before they put down the instruments she was using and pick up a bottle of red iodine and a swab, "What is a rakshasa?"

"It's a female demon that uses illusions to gain the trust and love of its target," I watched Rikomi stain the swab with the iodine, "and then it rips its victim apart and consumes him or her."

"It doesn't sound very friendly so what happened?" Rikomi was back in front of me, "This is going to sting."

"It was after a blind Shinto shrine maiden," a little pain got into my voice thanks to the iodine, "because her illusions couldn't affect the teenager."

"How did you defeat it?" I must've looked funny with red stains all over my face, the corners of lips twitch.

"The rakshasa is vulnerable to wood blessed by a holy person," I only gave a half answer.

"So the target became a trap," Rikomi dropped the swab in the wastebasket and put away the iodine.

"Correct," I watched Rikomi get out some temporary stitches, "with a little suggestion on my part, the shrine maiden blessed some crossbow bolts and wooden bullets."

"Wooden bullets?" There was curiosity to Rikomi's tone as she used the temporary stitches to close my facial wounds.

"Their casings are ofuda," there was still a smile on Rikomi's face so I must still look pretty funny with those stitches on my face, "only a few of my partners know how to use a crossbow but several of them can shoot a gun."

"Ingenious," Rikomi took a step aback and looked me over, "Well, that is all I can do for you but I would like you to come back in a few days so I can check them again."

I got off the table and then I made a dramatic show of looking around to make sure no could hear us, "So you're going to let your daughter keep watch over her boyfriend tonight?"

"Of course," Rikomi automatically said, "it would be heartless on my part to keep her away from him."

"So Ami-san will make sure he gets plenty of sleep," then I winked at Rikomi, "and plenty of fluids."

A stress-relieving giggle let Rikomi mouth followed by, "You have such a dirty mind."

"Comes with the territory," I lightly retorted, then a new thought entered my mind, "Has any of Osaka-san friends shown up?"

"No," Rikomi answered as she led me to the door, "but Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san should be here at any moment."

Noting the honorific used with Usagi's name, I asked, "Ami-san mentioned she knew Osaka-san, so does that mean she also knows Tsukino-san?"

"Usagi-chan is a very close friend of my daughter," Rikomi gave me a suspicious look, "why do you ask?"

"I'm trying to put together the possible places Osaka-san might go in her present condition," we both ended up in the hallway, "places where she would feel safe and protected."

"Wouldn't she go home," Rikomi suggest as we headed for the elevator.

"Not if she is afraid of what she might do to her mother," I explained as I hit the down button, "or if she feels shame of what has happened to her."

"I can't believe any mother would reject her child," Rikomi's eyes full of a mother's understanding, "no matter what."

"I hope you are right," I concurred but then I added, "but Osaka-san was raped and she is currently operating on an animalistic level, so she might feel like she is unworthy of her mother's love," the elevator door opened and I got in, "I'll let you know if I find her."

"You are going to look for her," more a statement than a question from Rikomi.

"As my associates would say," a knowing smile on my face, "I'm a marshmallow when it comes to girls, kids and cats."

"Take care, Thisbe-san," a fragment of Rikomi's departing wave reached me through the elevator's closing doors.

The trip down to the first floor gave me the opportunity to gathered the loose strands of this case in my head, each string had its own color and with one or two of them you might get one solution that was just as good as another possibility, but when you weave them all together they gave me only one solution that made sense to me, and when the bell for the first floor went off and the door opened, I had a chance to find out if the imaginative cloth I had was real, because there standing together near the check-in desk was Tsukino Usagi, Chiba Mamoru and Mizuno Ami.

They were softly talking together until Chiba saw me approaching them, then they turned as a group and I stopped to bow, saying, "Good afternoon, everyone, I have a question to ask."

"Good afternoon, Rogers-san," Chiba's voice as smooth as silk, "and what question would you ask?"

"Am I working for you?" Chiba's reaction to my question was well hidden behind his black eyes, Ami's sapphire eyes gained that scientific look she and her mother used but it was Usagi that was visibly shaken, then she looked at Chiba, who gave her a slight nod, followed by a shared gaze between the two girls, Ami giving her a nod.

Usagi turned to me, "Yes, a friend of mine referred you to me when Naru-chan was attacked," there was a royal calmness to Usagi's voice that wasn't there when I encountered her earlier today.

"A friend of a friend," I suggested.

A hint of amusement was added to Usagi's calm voice, "She suggested you were someone to trust, an honorable person."

"Does that mean you want me and my associates to search for Osaka-san?" I noticed a guarded expression appearing on Ami's pale face, "The more eyes out there looking for her, the less chance she will be shot by the police or the military."

Those last seven words put horror in Usagi's wide eyes, causing Chiba to place a comforting hand on her hip and for Ami's own eyes to slightly dilate. With barely restrained emotion the petite blonde said, "Please, help us find Naru-chan."

"Here," I held out a piece of paper which Chiba accepted, "this has the address for the drug lab in Yokohama," then I pulled out my cellphone, I had found it under Osaka-san's hospital bed, and dialed the emergency number.

"Yajue here, Kone-chan."

"Broken Arrow," I said and waited for response.

After a wait, Yajue said, "Thisbe-san, I have everyone on walkie-talkie mode," this was followed by several people letting me know they were there.

"Listen, everyone," I said, "there's a rape victim wandering the streets of Tokyo and we've got to find her before anything happens to her."

"It's Osaka-san, isn't it?" Yajue asked.

"Yes, it isn," I acknowledged, "and it won't be hard to identify her either."

"How come?" that was Ichigo asking the million-dollar question.

"Because she is now a catgirl."

Somewhere in Minato-Ku

Time was now our greatest enemy because in less than fourteen hours, Typhoon Ursula would hit and the chances of Osaka Naru surviving it in her current state were not good. With the streets nearly deserted of traffic and most people using the bus and trains to get around before they button-down for the storm, I was acting in quick response with my motorcycle while the rest of the crew concentrated in the area surrounding the hospital and meticulously moving outward. The Gemini Twins were holding down HQ on their own.

"Nae-chan," I shook my head at the young girl, "this is the sixth false alarm I've gotten, two from you alone."

"I'm sorry, Boss," her ginger-haired head bowed under my chastisement, "it's just I'm so freaked out by how quiet the city is right now, it's unnatural!"

I smiled under my helmet as I sat on my bike, "Just remember to check the noise out before you scream over the cellphone for help," I played my usual role as the cool and calm leader with an understanding mind.

"It won't happen again, Boss," a determined look on Nae's face.

"At least you're not as bad as Myomi and Suzue," a forlorn sigh at the end of my comment.

A light giggle came from Nae, with her adding, "How many times have they called you to ask your permission to bring in another stray cat."

"I've lost count," then my cellphone went off again, "that's probably them again," Nae giggled again which is why I had brought it up in the first place, I wanted to leave her in a positive mood.

"Hello, Rogers-san here," I spoke into the cellphone.

"Kone-chan?" I felt like pinching the bridge of my nose when I heard Suzue's voice.

"No... I'm putting my foot down," I tried really hard not to bark at the girl, I really did, "no more stray..."

"How about the two-footed kind?" Suzue squeaked.

That got my attention, "Where are you?"

"We're at the Hikawa Shrine," Suzue was whispering softly, "Myomi-chan wanted to get a fire reading from its shrine maiden."

I could have kicked myself, it was so obvious that Osaka would go to the one person who could offer spiritual advice, help her understand what had happened to her and what was happening to her now. Then I felt fear, "Are you guys alright?"

"We're hiding in the shrine's living quarters with the noble priest," I could hear Suzue's fright in her voice but she was trying to be a brave, "Osaka-san is outside somewhere, it looks like she is searching for someone."

"I'll be there as quick as possible," I chick the cellphone closed and put it away, "Nae-chan, alert the others, our target is at the Hikawa Shrine."

"Got you, Boss," Nae nodded her head and pulled out her own cellphone while I put on my helmet.

"Get everyone together and have them bring a lot of rope," I straighten my bike and kick in the kickstand, "we're going to need to bring her in alive."

"Aye-aye, Boss . . ." the rest of Nae's words were lost to me when I started up the bike and roared away.

I wore my costume now that my business suit was mostly rags thanks to Osaka's claws and when I reached the staircase that parted the wall, which reinforced the hill where the shrine stood, I turned and powered Old Glory up those stone steps. A few feet from the top I stop, shut the engine off and pulled down the kickstand. Keeping my eyes moving I got off and gradually opened one of the saddlebags to get out the bandolier than contained a holstered sawed-off shotgun and the shells in the belt were packed with beanbags and other ammo designed to stun whatever it hit. The leafless branches of the shrine's ancient cherry trees crowned the sky above me. The wind had little by little dropped down during the day, the calm before the storm. My steps echo on the well-kept flagstones, the path going from the red torii, the sacred gate, to the shrine building. Even with this being the tail end of the typhoon season, there was plenty of shrubbery to hide a prowling catgirl, and I was uncertain if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the young Hino wasn't here. This was bad in every sense of the word, Osaka-san probably knew the lay of land, I had people here that I couldn't afford for her to discover and a whiff of scent would allow her to find them.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," it was lame, I know but I needed her to focus on me; it worked.

The attack came from behind and above, most likely from the shrine's roof and it was noiseless, which meant she made a single leap instead of a long run. My upper back took the impact and I was driven to the ground with my saw-off shotgun sent clattering away from me. The catgirl rode my back as I stood, her clawed blows and teeth stopped by my helmet and armored jacket but I couldn't reach her, at least not until I grabbed her tail.

"Rawwl!" Cut through the air as I pulled her off my back but the blow to my head by her feet separated us.

There we stood facing each other with both of us limited to natural weapons, the catgirl an offensive weapon while I was well rounded, and I was sure she recognized me from the hospital, which is why she probably attacked me like she did, I was a proven threat. The second attack came fast, an attempt to hamstring me by attacking my right ankle and it was an opening I wasn't going to waste.

I jumped over the catgirl's attack, rolled several times so I could scoop up my shotgun and turned to face her, finding the creature coming right at me, I fired right in her face.

Backward the catgirl flew from me but she twisted her body in the air and landed on her feet, her face showing no damage from the impact of the beanbags, "This is going to be harder than I thought," I muttered to myself as I reloaded my weapon, "The cavalry won't be here for another ten minutes, tops."

The periwinkle-colored eyes of the catgirl watched me intensely, her tiger-like tail swished back and forth, clearly she was waiting for me to start round two but I wasn't going to if I could help it, then my luck turned bad when a slight breeze pulled her nose to her left, toward the living quarters.

I charged and so did the catgirl, me hoping that the load in my gun would give me the chance I needed. At an arm length between us I dived to my right, twisting onto my back. It was from this position I saw a red-and-white blur dropping from the sky above where we would have collided but it was too late, I had already pulled the trigger which fired the gun between my feet, both the feline and whoever, whatever, was falling from the sky were caught in the area-of-effect of a blast of pepper spray.

Using the raw strength of my legs I rocked myself onto my feet but then I pulled a raw recruit stunt: I froze. I couldn't believe it although I should have expected it, since Hikawa Shrine was one of the places where they been sighted, the Sailor Senshi, and here was the red-cloaked one, the violet-haired girl, on one knee where she was coughing and sneezing up a storm along with the catgirl.

I unfroze but it was too late, even if she was robbed of all her senses except hearing, the catgirl bolted from the still helpless Sailor Senshi and away from me but then I pulled another raw recruit stunt, I had lost my sense of my surrounding. I hadn't noticed Myomi, Suzue and an old man coming of hiding nor did I spot the girl the catgirl collided with until it happen, a girl with twin ponytails, a girl with incredibly long gossamer wings, a Sailor Senshi, Sailor Moon.

"Naru-chan! Stop!" Sailor Moon shouted as she struggled to hold the catgirl. I had already ran halfway toward them but then I stopped, because I was unsure of what to do, I mean this was Sailor Moon, the savior of Tokyo, and she had a tendency to dust things and I didn't want to get in her way. Another thing that caused me to pause was Sailor Moon's wings, from afar they looked like huge angel wings but from where I was now, you could tell they were in fact several feathered filaments of various lengths and it was their constant motion that produced the illusion of wholeness.

The catgirl was frightened so when her jaws closed on Sailor Moon's forearm it wasn't a surprise to me, but the creature's reaction to the Sailor Senshi's scream was, recognition filled those green eyes and she looked at her captive like it was the first time. It was a long heartrending howl that came from the catgirl just before her arms hugged Sailor Moon, I couldn't be sure but it sounded like she howled a name but her voice box distorted the words.

When I saw Sailor Moon's wings wrap the catgirl in a tight embrace and the tears drop from both of their eyes, I relaxed enough to turnaround and go to the aid of the other Sailor Senshi. I helped her out of what remained of the pepper spray and once we were clear of it, I said, "Sorry about that, Sailor Mars, I didn't see you coming."

It was a little amusing the tears running down her face not matching the bottomless expression in those dark eyes, sneezing into her right hand as she tried to talk, "That (sneeze) was the (sneeze) general idea (sneeze) Lord God (sneeze) what was (sneeze) that stuff?"

"Military strength pepper spray," I informed her, "designed to take down a bull elephant," then I decided to lighten the mood, "although I could send the manufacturer a note to let him know it can takedown a Sailor Senshi."

"Funny," Sailor Mars sniffled and glared at me at the same time, "you and Sailor V should team-up."

That comment caught my attention and I looked carefully at Sailor Mars' face. There was something about her dark eyes and her aloof voice being familiar to me, but her features waver before my gaze like something was trying to stop me from putting a name to them, then her expression changed and she pointed at her own face, "Do I have something on my face?"

That did it, my concentration broke by Sailor Mars' glib words, her features going completely unrecognizable, to cover my defeat I said, "No you don't, young lady." I looked at Sailor Moon and the catgirl, both were shedding tears and they hugged each other, "so do you have a place where you can take Osaka-san?"

Sailor Mars' answer didn't come immediately, she stared at me like she was checking my morality meter, "We do but we can't afford to have anyone stay with her right now," the young woman looked at her leader and the catgirl.

"Not even dumpling head?" I got a fleeting crooked smile from Sailor Mars which told me there were a few kernels of truth in the anime and in the manga, "Me and my associates have a safe house were Osaka-san can stay and I can guarantee our people will take good care of her as well as keep her secret safe."

Once more I had to deal with Sailor Mars' dark gaze before she walked over to Sailor Moon and she spoke to her leader, the exchange produced a thumbs up from the petite blond followed by a nod from the violet-haired hero and I pulled off my helmet so I could use my cellphone, only to be surprised by the shocked expressions on the Sailor Senshi's faces, "Why eyeballing me?" I asked.

"It just we didn't expect you were wearing a mask underneath that helmet," despite the denial by Sailor Mars, her expression plus Sailor Moon's silence told me they were caught off-guard by my blue domino mask. "Well, my regular clothes are at the laundry," which was true, in little-bitty-pieces, "so I had to wear the costume I usually use when I want to confuse the Yakuza."

Now I had question marks over my head because Sailor Mars and Sailor Moon put their heads together and they were having such a deep discussion that I was able to walk up to them undetected.

"Do you think we can trust him, he is a man after all?"

"Listen, flame-breath, not all men are evil."

"Which man hasn't betrayed us at least once?"

"Motoko-niichan."

There was a pause where the only sound you could hear was the catgirl's loud purr, "Point taken."

"Ladies," I raised my hand, "If it makes a difference . . ."

I didn't get to finish because Sailor Mars turned to me and she asked, "You have dealt with Yakuza before, right?"

"Yes, young lady," I answered. I could tell by the same expression on the two Sailor Senshi's faces that they had decided something together.

"Good, Sailor Moon wants to checkout your safe house and your people before leaving Naru-san in their care," the disagreeable look Sailor Mars gave me told me she really didn't trust me, "so we are asking you to help a couple of our friends in Yokohama."

A brick wall wasn't necessary to fall on me to tell me what Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars was asking me to do but I had to ask the reason, "If I maybe so bold, girl, but why do you need my help?"

It was blackness of shale I saw in Sailor Mars' gaze but she answered calmly, "Three of our members are out-of-town and we lost contact with another," there was a flicker of fire in her eyes but nothing more, "so we need you and only you to help the two going in on the Yakuza lab in Yokohama."

All the ducks fell into line and it made me realize I had been working for two groups, the friends of Osaka Naru and the Sailor Senshi. Was there a connection between the two groups, obviously, but right now I was given a chance-of-a-lifetime, "Where do I meet them?"

(End of Part Two)


	4. Chapter 4

Story Title: Full Moon Fever

Series Title: House of the Holy

By Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" is the property of Troy "Silver" Stanton. This is here because several of the concepts I'm going to use in this series originated with Troy and his wonderful series. "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" can be found at:

My e-mail addresses are:

This is the second installment to this Sailor Moon series. At first this story will appear to be totally separate from the first installment but they are connected. Many will notice that I'm paying homage to the great detective novels of Dashell Hammett, Eric Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. If you don't recognize any of these authors, then maybe you will know their creations, Sam Spade, Perry Mason and Philip Marlowe.

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult scenes, so minors should get parental permission before reading this series.

Copyright: September 19, 2004

Proofreader: Lanis

Timeline: This installment takes place fifteen days after the first installment of "House of the Holy: Temptation and Seduction."

Location: Cosmo World, Yokohama

The wind increased with every mile I traveled to Yokohama. Tokyo Bay was covered by white caps and there was already some local flooding where the wind drove the high tide over the breakers. Soon, very soon, even someone of my size would be tossed around like a leaf, and here I was heading for one of Yokohama's biggest amusement parks to keep a date with two Sailor Senshi. It was already close to pass ten at night and sometime after midnight the typhoon would hit here and then Tokyo.

Cosmo World is part of the 21st Century project which included several other futuristic buildings and was constructed on land reclaimed from Tokyo Bay; to me it made sense Doctor Tomoe would have been involved in this project since his Mugan complex was constructed the same way and at the same time. I pulled into the high-rise parking lot used for Cosmo World, where I turned the engine off and brought out a Sailor Senshi communicator, courtesy of Sailor Mars. In a corner of my mind I was bothered by Sailor Moon's decision to have me backup two of her people and to some degree I shared Sailor Mars opinion of my worth, combat wise. Sure, in a normal firefight I would be of considerable value on whoever side I was on but we are talking about the Sailor Senshi here, I could tell them what they would most likely face but my gut told me there might be something more than Yakuza thugs and if my bags of tricks didn't work, I could end up endangering their lives.

Yet with these thoughts in my head, I thumbed the device on, saying, "Hello-hello, this is Rogers, I'm in position."

"I can see you are," a voice came from my right side, I looked and I saw a green garbed Sailor Senshi, her ginger ponytail blowing in the wind.

"As can I," now a voice from my left, there I found the blue garbed Sailor Senshi, her sapphire eyes covered by transparent goggles, her face framed by glossy blue hair.

I knew the girl's blue hair and the other's better than average height meant something important to me, just as Sailor Moon's hairstyle and Sailor Mars' freezing dark eyes were important too, but like before when I tried to concentrate on connecting names to them, my brain would get fuzzy and I would feel like I drank a liter of poor quality sake, so instead of asking rank, name and serial number, I just bowed to each of them, saying, "Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Mercury."

They returned my bow, "And what should we call you," Sailor Mercury asked as she walked toward me, "since using your true name would endanger you later."

"Seijoki," I told Sailor Mercury as I turned to open one of my saddlebags and pulled out my ammo belt and holster.

"Didn't V-chan mention a Seijoki giving the Yakuza hell," Sailor Jupiter came up to stand by Sailor Mercury, her body edge a little in front of the smaller heroine.

"So my fame has reached Tokyo's greatest crimefighter," I strap on the ammo belt and tied down the holster, "there's been a few times when I had to put on this costume so the Yakuza didn't have a target to retaliate against."

"You admire Sailor V, don't you?" Sailor Mercury asked as she pulled out a laptop or PDA from what to me was thin air.

"Day to day, I see people living better lives because of her deeds," I fell back on my prepared answer, "only a person with a heart of stone wouldn't admire such a young girl."

"Goody, V-chan will . . ." I had forgotten I left the communicator on, laying it on the gas tank so I could put my rig on. On it I saw Sailor Moon's face being pushed out of the viewer to be replaced by Sailor Mars, who asked in a determined tone, "Mercury, what does your laptop show?"

"There is a large underground complex here, going right into the bay's bedrock," Mercury replied scientifically as she continued to tap on the keyboard, "but it is shielded, so I can't give any specifics."

"What about security?" Sailor Jupiter asked, the look on her face showed she was spoiling for a fight.

"Four men at the Cosmo World front entrance," then a worry note came to Mercury's voice, "but I'm finding none in Cosmo World itself."

"Is the front entrance a reinforced building," I asked.

"Yes," then Mercury's eyes lit up, "Of course, they are getting ready to weather out the typhoon."

"So except for those at the gate," excitement danced in Jupiter's eyes, "we won't run into anyone until we get to the entrance of the underground lab?"

"Correct," I unhorsed my Desert Eagle and checked the load.

Jupiter let out a whistle, "That's a big gun."

"I'll bet you say that to all the guys," I couldn't pass it up.

Jupiter's eyes narrow, "Mars's right, you are as bad as V-chan."

"Desert Eagle, .50 caliber, the most powerful handgun in the whole world" the only sign my comment to Jupiter had on Mercury was the tinge of blush on her cheeks, "and illegal in Japan."

"Are you going to confiscate, officer," I held the gun out to Mercury, handgrip first, "I'll be kind of unless in there without it."

"You got muscle," Jupiter pointed out.

"As Bruce Lee once said, 'you can't martial art a bullet,'" I let my eyes go from Jupiter's face to Mercury's face, "besides how would the Sailor Senshi get anything done without their lethal powers?"

It took a second for Mercury's hand to push the gun toward me, "Keep it, we need you in there."

Trust, there it was again. First Sailor Moon trusting me followed by Sailor Mars guarded faith and now here was Mercury doing the same thing, I couldn't get rid of the feeling the Sailor Senshi knew me very well, so I decided to put my cards on the table, "Are you sure, Sailor Mercury that I won't end up a burden, someone who could jeopardize the mission?"

The reaction I got from the Sailor Senshi surprised me, they smiled at me, Jupiter saying, "You know, awhile back someone else tried to tell us that we were jeopardizing the mission, our care for other people's lives would led us to failure."

"It takes every grain of sand to create a beautiful beach," a proper measure of care in Mercury's voice, her hands putting away her laptop, "now, Seijoki, do you have a plan?"

Discussion ended, I was in, even against my better judgment, "The telephone lines are already down and their cellphones are useless, so their won't be too surprise when a massager boy comes up on a motorcycle," I watched for reaction from their faces, "I can get one but you two are going to have to takedown the other three."

"Won't they recognize your costume?" I could tell Jupiter liked my plan but she still asked the question.

"Not as long as he keeps his helmet on," Mercury answered for me, "they will think he is a new recruit from some motorcycle gang."

"Good enough for me," a positive expression on Jupiter's face, "Let's get going."

I waited awhile to let the Sailor Senshi get into position before I started up Old Glory and pulled out of the parkway. It only took me fifteen minutes to reach the front gate of Cosmo World. I was able to unhook the flap to my holster before the man in the black suit came out of the guard building and you could tell he wasn't happy being exposed to the howling wind. Thanks to my helmet I was able to see two men standing by the building opened door. Covering their comrade, the additional man was probably on the telephone to the men in the underground complex.

"What are you doing here?" the man shouted over the wind, "Cosmo World is closed due to the weather!"

"I have a message for Asano Isaburo," his suspicious look remained, "The telephone lines are down and we weren't able to get through with the cellphones."

"What is the message?" the made man asked.

"Can't tell you," I responded, "I'm only suppose to tell Asano Isaburo."

I know the ploy has been used in countless movies and it didn't look like the guy was going for it either but he didn't have to, the two men watching us were the first ones to discover the truth. Their bodies lifted into the air by Sailor Jupiter's strong arms and thrown together, their heads ringing against each other, and my angle also showed Sailor Mercury running pass the short-lived melee and into the guard building.

At this point I told the man, "You do know I've been lying?" I let my right hand dropped to the side of the holster.

He stopped not more than five feet from me, his watery glare turned as deadly as his words, "I've got backup."

"You had backup," I waited for him to make his play.

He didn't take his eyes off of me, his hair wiping in the gale, "So you want to play John Wayne, eh?" There was simple acceptance in his words because he knew I wouldn't have made the statement unless it was true.

"I prefer Keiichiro Akagi," I answered, my hand became a blur just like his hand going under his coat. It wasn't really fair, he had no cover to duck around and I was sighting down the barrel of my .50 just as his .38 cleared his coat, but he never lost his look of determination.

"Gods!" Jupiter shouted as she and Sailor Mercury ran up to me, "I heard your thing go off even with the noise from the wind."

"Let's hid my motorcycle and the body in the guard building," I suggested as I holstered my gun.

Jupiter looked at Mercury and nodded together before the green Sailor Senshi said, "I'll handle the bag of bones."

I motored my bike slowly through the pedestrian entrance of Cosmo World and paused on the other side to watch Jupiter dragging the body in, but when I looked beyond her, I saw Mercury still standing where I shot the man down, her eyes locked on something on the ground.

"Mercury!" with a pair of lungs like those I think Jupiter could have been heard in Tokyo, it did jerk up Mercury's eyes, "Come on, we still got the nest to clear out."

"Okay!" Mercury ran to join us; damn, it's freaky how the light prismatically reflected off Mercury's eyes, the shifting from sapphire to steel-blue back to sapphire was unnerving and then what Jupiter said registered on my brain.

I got Old Glory through the entrance to the guard building before Jupiter, Mercury and the body reached me; inside I found the remaining guard tied up and sound asleep, a guard taken care of by Mercury. Two facts added together gave me a reason to pulled out my Desert Eagle. When Mercury saw what I was doing, she asked, "Why are you taking your bullets out?"

"So I can put these in," I held up a bullet but neither Mercury nor Jupiter seemed to notice the difference, "Here, take a look," I tossed the slug purposely toward the blue-haired girl.

Mercury began to cup her hands to catch the bullet but stopped as her eyes grew wide, at the last second Jupiter grabbed the projectile out of the air, the pony-tailed girl gave me a mean glare before holding the shell up so she and Mercury could examine it, "it feels funny," then she squint her emerald eyes, "and there is some writing on them."

"It is kanji," Mercury was standing straight when she said it, then she looked at me with a widow maker expression, "the Shinto prayer of exorcism."

"The casing is made of compressed rice paper," I said as I continued to load my gun, "when the nitro cap goes off, the paper chars and the power of the prayer transfers to the bullet," with the flick of my wrist the gun closed, "also if you notice the slug isn't copper jacketed."

Jupiter's eyes refocused and she blurted out, "Hot damn! It's silver jacketed."

Mercury's eyes studied the bullet before her eyes shifted to my eyes, "You expect something supernatural down there, don't you?"

"It was Sailor Jupiter who mentioned a nest," I flicked my wrist and my gun clicked close.

"Ops," Jupiter covered her mouth with her hand, "Sorry, Mercury," she apologized to the blue-haired girl's annoyed look.

The cold steel-blue gaze of Mercury's eyes returned to me, "For an American, you are well versed in supernatural magic, why?"

"My agency has had some run-ins with extraordinary people," something in the back of my head told I shouldn't try any white lies, "but right now I have a feeling that there is more down there," I nodded my head at the ground, "Isaburo-san and his thugs."

There was again a shared look between Mercury and Jupiter before they nodded and the smaller girl said, "How much do you know about what Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi have done?"

"Only what the anime and the manga have shown plus a few odds-and-ends from the newspapers," my answer covered the fact of me noticing Mercury's eyes were sapphire again.

"What do you remember of the Deathbusters?" Mercury's hands clasp together while Jupiter crossed her arms over her ample chest.

"I was in America, visiting relatives when it happened," I knew my own distaste colored my words, "I was just glad none of my people got hurt by them."

"Do you remember what the Deathbusters' objective was?" Mercury's voice remained soothing, calm.

"Yes," I was still holding my gun in my right hand and I noticed Jupiter's eyes was watching it, "according to the manga it was to create human hybrids that could act as vassals for creatures from another dimension, the dimension of Pharaoh Ninety and Mistress Nine and the former . . ." my voice abruptly stopped.

My face must have betrayed what I was thinking, because Mercury nodded and finished for me, "Yes, what you are thinking is the reason we are here."

"Yeah, we're here to bust up any chance of some moron Yakuza from continuing Tomoe-sensei's plans," Jupiter's green eyes never moving from my gun, "so are you in or not?"

"I'm in," I holstered my gun, my ears catching the sigh from Jupiter, "but I'm still a little concern about you needing my help."

"Because it is necessary, Seijoki," the twin glares I got told me both Mercury and Jupiter were getting tired of this question.

"Then why don't we wait for Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus," I countered. I wanted a real answer this time.

"Because we don't have the time, American," Jupiter slapped her forehead with her right hand, "once the typhoon hits, we could lose them."

For all of her bravado, Jupiter's answer was a neat sidestep of my question, "Alright, I can accept that answer for Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars but what about Sailor Venus, why isn't she here?"

Bull's-eye, a very uncomfortable look appeared on Mercury's face and Jupiter looked away from me, a sad expression on her face to match her words, "Because she can't."

I thought of pushing the issue but decided against it, I had a feeling I might be tap-dancing in a minefield, "I see, so I'm better than nothing, eh?"

Small smiles from Mercury and Jupiter were the reward of my glib remark and the lightning gal spoke, "I wouldn't say that, Seijoki," Jupiter walked up and held out her hand to me, Mercury's sapphire eyes glittered with amusement.

"Just as long as I don't have to wear a sailor fuku," I said as I shook Jupiter's hand, "it must get drafty down there."

"Please," a sickened look on Jupiter's face, "the image of you flashing everyone is ugly beyond belief."

"I don't have to imagine it," Jupiter gave Mercury a puzzled look, "don't you remember, the time . . ." the blue-haired girl glanced at me, "you know when a certain couple we know got drunk and switch costumes."

"Ooohhh," Jupiter was greener then her costume, "you didn't need to remind me, Mercury."

Deciding to get us back on track I asked, "So what are we facing down there?"

"As you have deduced, Seijoki, we are likely to face human hybrids as well as the Yakuza you are familiar with," Sailor Mercury explained, "furthermore we can't be sure but it is possible the human hybrids cannot be harm by non-magical or non-spiritual attacks," then she brought out her laptop, opened it and activated it before she asked, "What are the results when you use these bullets?"

"A bluish-white flame comes out of the barrel along with a lot of smoke," I heard Mercury's typing and Jupiter held the bullet I gave them in front of the blue device.

"What happened to the targets?" Mercury's eyes stayed on whatever she was reading.

"I've only had to use these bullets twice," I knew full well how flimsy this evidence was, "and the results varied, the first time the target exploded and the second time the target turned to dust."

There was nothing more from either one of us until Jupiter reached the end of her patience, "So what are the results?"

"The maker of these bullets was no simpleton for there is Shinto spiritual magic in them," Mercury closed her laptop and made it disappear once more, "but will they affect the Deathbusters, I cannot tell you."

"Well, there is only one way to find out," I walked toward the door and the noise of booted steps told me they were right behind me.

It was like we walked right into a wind tunnel or the insides of a turbo engine, we could make progress against it but it was hard going, I put on my bike helmet to improve my vision and it allowed me to watch the others, Jupiter's steady pace showed only a little effect caused by the approaching storm but Mercury had to lean into the wind to make any progress, the blue-haired girl's small light frame was handicapping her, I was about to mention the problem to the ginger-haired girl when she turned around and headed back to our companion, then the hand of the Storm King hit us.

"AHHHH . . ." the typhoon wasn't due to hit Tokyo until tomorrow morning but there was no mistaking the azure terror in Mercury's eyes at her body being picked up and thrown into the air.

"MERCURY!" Jupiter shouted, her face showing her helplessness to her comrade.

"V LOVE ME CHAIN!" I barely heard it over the fright train blowing around me but my eyes saw the heart-linked gold chain strike out from underneath the Cosmo Clock Ferris Wheel and it snaked around Mercury's body, then a shout came, "GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE, I CAN'T PULL HER IN!"

I got to the ferris wheel first but my reaction slowed at the sight of my idol, her long hair matched the color of her chain, her baby blues burning with life in that domino mask, her scarlet hair ribbon flatten and I was jealous at how zephyr played with her red-white-and-blue sailor fuku.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, A TELEGRAPH?" V's words plus her glare kicked me into action, allowing me along with Jupiter to add our hands to the blonde's hands.

It took some time but us three were able to get Mercury in, her first words once Jupiter had a firm grip on her small waist was, "Thanks, V . . . chan," the pause was barely noticeable but it was there.

"No probmento, Bubbles," the smaller girl had to hold onto one of the ferris wheel's support beams to keep from going solo, but then her attention switched to me, "and who is this copycat, I have you know I'm the original."

"Sorry, Sailor V," her upbeat attitude was contagious, "but Grandpa is the original by forty years."

"V-chan, this is Seijoki," I picked up on Jupiter's sneaky tone, "Seijoki, this is Sailor V."

Instantly I took my helmet off and I bowed to her, which got a rejoinder from her, "I would return your bow but I think I would become an airborne ranger if I did," I could see her eyes give me the once-over, "and I presume you're from the States, they grow them big there, don't they?"

"Yes, Sailor . . ."

"Just call me, V-chan," she gave me a wink, "all my friends do."

"Okay, V-chan," I grinned at her before I added, "So you decided to cover my butt some more."

"Some more . . ." V looked confused but then she brightened, "Ah! So you did notice the girl was moved and asked the right question."

"I did," even in this heavy wind I could see the merriment of her pose, "which begs the question, why were you down in the sewers at the same time and at the same place as I was?"

"Doing the same thing you were doing, busting a drug lab, but for a different reason," V's smile grew wider, "it was coincidence our paths crossed."

Tinfoil, I was looking at the Tinfoil Sailor Senshi, my grin matching hers, "You do say?"

"I do," sparkling mischief in her blue rocks.

"Pardon me for interrupting," Jupiter didn't sound apologetic, "but we have a lab here just begging to be busted, so could you two can it until later?"

Jupiter looked frustrated so I turned my question to Mercury, "I'm getting the feeling this is why people been lumping me with Sailor V all day."

Caught off-guard Mercury asked me, "Who else?"

"Sailor Mars."

"She would," a response from V painted in scowls.

"Now they got you in it, Mercury," Jupiter shook her head.

"Sorry," Mercury blushed.

"I do have a question," I didn't want the Daughter of the Storm King making the typhoon worse, "how do we get Mercury and V-chan to the lab without them acting like leafs?"

"Like this," V pulled her right arm back dramatically and then she whipped it forward, "V LOVE ME CHAIN," the heart chain bolted from her index finger and our eyes watched it unerring hit a heavily constructed building.

"Is that . . ." I looked at Mercury.

Mercury nodded her head, "Yes, that the entrance to the underground complex."

"But even so couldn't . . ."

"Like this!" I should get use to teenagers tendency to interrupt but I was totally surprised when I felt a weight land on my back and two arms wrap around my neck and a pair of legs around my waist, "C'mon, Seijoki, don't tell me you didn't want me all over you from the get go?"

"Give the guy a break, V-chan," aggravation in Jupiter's words.

"It could work," there was an analytical look on Mercury's face.

"Mercury, don't egg her on," disbelief in Jupiter's glare.

"No, I mean it," Mercury maintained her neutral tone, "both you and Seijoki are much stronger than either of me or V-chan and our weight added to each of you two should stabilized us in the wind."

I could tell Jupiter was now taking seriously what Mercury had said but there was a shifting of unidentified emotions on her strong face, finally she said, "Alright."

"Giddy up, Horsy," the squeeze of V's legs around my waist put my brain in a vise, I immediately tied my helmet to my right hip and I grabbed the heart chain with both hands, my eyes widen at the way the metal in my grip was warm.

"This thing is alive," I looked over my right shoulder at V.

"Of course, silly," V purred in my ear, "it is made from my love."

I wanted to contradict V, the impulse was there but I had sense enough not to say it. Catgirls, Sailor Senshi, aliens from another dimension, a strangely angelic Sailor Moon, it would have been illogical for me not to believe V's statement, her bluest eyes told me the clear-cut truth, so instead I looked beyond her. My own eyes saw a hushed conversation between the two Sailor Senshi before the ginger-haired girl turned away so she could drop to one knee, which allowed the azure girl's arms go around her taller girl's neck and then wrap her legs around Jupiter waist when she stood up.

I concentrated on my grip and on my feet, fighting my way up the glittering chain against powerful currents of air, but as much as I was winning that fight I was losing the other one, the one where the sheen skin of her arms around my neck and the diaphanous touch of her sunshine hair on my face made my heart a phoenix. Did V know she was my idol, my daydream lover; a piggyback ride was reducing my soul to embers.

The entrance to the underground complex acted as a windbreak, so V hopped off my back and I quickly slipped my helmet back on. Would she think my flushed face cute or would she tease me like some teenage fanboy? I didn't get a chance to torment myself more because Jupiter and Mercury joined us and my brain kicked into detective mode at the sight of the short-haired Sailor Senshi's eyes playing their game again, I wasn't the only one to notice it, "I see the folk tale was wrong?" V smirked.

"What tale?" Mercury pulled out her laptop as she asked.

"The turtle and the scorpion," the red-white-and-blue Sailor Senshi deadpanned.

"V-chan," the green sparks in Jupiter's eyes promised pain but she was only able to take a half step before Mercury interposed between them.

"Don't start," a quiet rumble in Mercury's voice, her steel-blue eyes brooking no contradiction and then she turned them on me, "and no, even with Sailor V here, we still need you."

"Yes, sir," it squeaked out of me and it did the trick, V giggled and Jupiter half-grinned and Mercury sighed out her tension before she touched her earring, activating her blue visor, and then she walked over to the security keypad that was located next to the reinforced door.

While the blue-haired Senshi's fingers rapidly typed on the laptop's keyboard, I asked the other two, "So what is the normal Senshi tactics, I hope they are better than what I see on the anime?"

"They are since Mercury took over the leadership," the two Senshi exchanged nasty looks while Jupiter continued, "V-chan scouts ahead with me backing her up, Mercury follows behind us readied to tell us what we need to do."

"So where should I be?" I pulled out the Desert Eagle, I clicked off the safety and I held it with the barrel up in the air.

"Protecting our darrie airs," V's leer caused Jupiter to roll her eyes, "besides Bubbles here gets a bad case of tunnel vision when she is hotwired to her blue gizmo, usually Artemis has to make sure some yoma isn't about to KIA her."

"I heard that, V-chan," Mercury's eyes never leaving the screen of her laptop.

"Bite me," V shot back.

"I'm thinking about it," Mercury retorted just as her device beeped and the reinforced door slid open.

They was a long, dimly lit staircase going to what looked like a elevator, I could see cameras along the shaft but from the corner of my eye I could see Jupiter and V exchange looks with the brunette nodding her head while the blonde paled.

I was getting an overload of clues about things going on behind the scenes, puzzle pieces that didn't connect, at least not yet. All I could do was to ask, "So who goes first?"

"Who's on second," V-chan countered with her patented smile.

"It's going be one of those days," Jupiter shook her head before asking, "Mercury?"

"On it," Mercury put away her laptop before she took on a dramatic stance, both arms crossed over her chest before she threw them wide while shouting, "SHABON SPRAY!"

A plethora of bluish bubbles flew out from the wake of Mercury's arms, filling the staircase with a thick fog. Just on the off chance I touched a button inside my helmet with my tongue, the helmet's IR vision activated and it gave me the result I expected, the fog was killing the heat and light coming from the lights. Together we walked down the staircase, V first, Jupiter second, Mercury third and me playing goalie, and God was the fog cold and it muffled our footfalls so well that I commented, "Could've used this in Iraq."

"You were in Desert Storm?" the fog tuned Mercury's voice to a whisper.

"First Battalion, Seventh Regiment, First Cavalry Division," Mercury's sapphire eyes told me she wanted to know more, "you won't find us mentioned in newspaper articles or in political speeches, because the Army couldn't make a mistake, not when everything else was so successful."

"Your unit got hit hard?" Mercury kept glancing in my direction.

"The First Cavalry was dropped in southern Iraq with the purpose to prevent the French Foreign Legion from marching on Baghdad," Mercury's eyes glued to mine, "yes, we found out that the French Commander didn't like being second banana in our grand plan, so he planned to peel off the French Foreign Legion, a completely mechanized combined arms unit, go through two Iraq Guard Divisions and take Baghdad."

"But something went wrong," Mercury's face showed she was reacting to the old pain in my voice.

"The First Battalion was the most northerly of the First Cavalry to be dropped in and it was we discovered twenty minutes later, when mortars began to rain down on our position, we discovered we were going nose to nose with three regiments of the Third Iraqi Guard Division."

I stopped my story when we reached the elevator, we exchanged looks and shrugs before V pushed the down button, as we waited the blond bombshell asked, "So it was Garry Owen all over again, right?"

"You know something of American history, V-chan?" I was surprised, although required to learn English in their schools, Japanese understanding of American History was marginal.

"Nah, I just like to watch B Westerns," V waved her white-gloved hand at me, "you know, 'They Died With Their Boots On'."

"Yeah," Jupiter's disdain rumbled in the mist, "I heard your junior high school teacher was pulling his hair out when you read your report to the whole class on 'Custer's Last Stand'."

"It was Iziki-sensei's own fault," V sweetly countered, "he assigned it to me and he knew how much I hated unhappy endings."

"You changed the ending?" Mercury looked aghast at the bombshell.

"She had the Custer and his men join the Indians and together they ended up in a big powwow, where they got drunk and made little Cowboys and little Indians," my eyebrows shot up while Mercury's jaw hung open and V gave Jupiter a speculative look, "you left it on the table after a Sailor Senshi meeting over at my place," the Lightning Senshi explained.

Mercury shuddered at V's twisted history but now a chine went off and I reacted, my Desert Eagle leveled and my arm braised on Mercury's shoulder while the elevator door opened, there was nothing inside, which gave the blue-haired girl a chance to look over the shoulder my arm was resting on and give me an impressed look, "three point five seconds."

"Thanks for the compliment, Mercury, but I was wondering if your mist will prevent the elevator's camera from seeing us," I decided to let Mercury know about me noticing the way her mist flowed into the elevator.

"It will," Mercury replied evenly, "but you do know it is a trap."

"Yes," I holstered my revolver, "but is there any other way down?"

"No," Mercury shook her blue-haired head, "there isn't even any ventilation ducts."

"Come into my parlor and I'll tell you your fortune," V flipped her blond bangs out of her eyes.

A collective groan came from Jupiter and Mercury but I was stuck at how V's mangling of an idiom reminded me of someone I knew, but like before I couldn't put a name to my feeling, so to cover my frustration I entered the elevator, saying, "Age before beauty."

"Hey," Jupiter right on my heels, "you're not much older than we are."

"Care to wager," I grinned at the ponytail girl.

"Sixteen," V piped in while joining us, "all of us."

"Seijoki will be twenty-nine in June," Mercury supplied when she joined us, her right index finger pushed the down button.

"What!" a stereo response from Jupiter and V before the ginger girl added, "You don't look over twenty, how come?"

"Good genes," I smirked at them, "you should see Grandpa," then I turned to Mercury, "Sailor Moon had you check me out, to make sure I wore a white hat."

"Correct," Mercury hesitated for a second before she continued, "we also scrutinized you during the Moon Kingdom incident."

That was a shock to me, to know the Sailor Senshi had kept tabs on me for the pass three years without me knowing it, then I remembered something, "Did you check me out or was it the police?"

Mercury bit her lower lip, a sign the soft-voiced Senshi didn't like to lie, before she answered, "Both."

It made sense. If the manga was correct, Sailor V had connections to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and since it was clear she worked with the Sailor Senshi, they could use her pull to gain excess to my police file, "You used your little computer to heck into the personnel files in the United States' Department of Defense, didn't you?"

"Yes," I was certain there was a hint of pride in Mercury's answer.

"So you know what happened at the Battle of Highway Baghdad?" So far Mercury hadn't lied to me.

"You were awarded a Silver Star for your bravery as a Medic," then Mercury's sapphire eyes spoke sympathy to me, "in a battle where your unit suffered sixty-seven percent casualties."

I felt better at the empathy I saw in the other Sailor Senshi's faces, if the anime and the manga were correct, they had gone through so much suffering and pain, yet their battle hardened hearts still understood the anguish of murder that was war. To move things along I said, "You know there's probably a welcoming committee waiting for us down below."

"That's why we have Sparky here," V patted Jupiter's back, which brought a sideways glance at the bombshell from the thunder girl.

"So what do we do?" I was more than a little anxious because in my opinion, none of Jupiter's acts could be described as being subtle.

"Get back a give the girl room to Rock and Roll!" blue manic glee danced in V's eyes.

V, Mercury and I pressed again the side of the elevator while Jupiter positioned herself near the door, her legs braced and her arms crossed over her chest, it was at this moment I found Mercury under the crock of my left arm and I couldn't pass up the chance, the index and forefinger of my right hand pressed into her pale neck, her response was instant, her gaze met my gaze and her downy soft voice said, "Yes, I do have a pulse."

"Get ready!" I tightened at V's shout and the elevator bell, but then the bottom of my stomach fell out, my voice fearful, "Mercury, your mist."

Mercury's facial expression was the same as mine, "This is going to hurt."

"And I just had my hair done," teeth rattling protest came from V.

Bluish sparks jumped from Jupiter to all sides the metal room, even with the insulation of my body armor my skin madly itched but my ears rung with the Thunderer daughter's roar, "SUPREME THUNDER!" The sweep of Jupiter's arms threw a giant arc of electricity through the opening doors.

The visor of my helmet darkened to protect my eyes from the lightening flash and insulation in my costume kept the electrical backwash to a mild shock. When my vision cleared I check out Mercury and V and I couldn't stop from chuckling at what I saw. V's longhair looked like a cat's tail in an electric socket while Mercury could have been mistaken for a refugee from a KISS concert.

"Sorry guys," you couldn't miss the fractured smile on Jupiter's face as she looked over her shoulder.

"Laugh it up, boys and girls," the hurt pride in V's voice was enough to get her standing, "I'm sure me and Bubbles here can think up a suitable punishment for you two."

"One problem at a time, please," I countered as I activated my helmet's infrared vision and followed Jupiter into the room; what I found was busted lights and five smoking bodies.

V moved ahead of both me and Jupiter and knelt by the closest corpse, looked at it for a couple of seconds before saying, "Fully human and armed with an AK-47, probably the others are too."

"Scratch one welcoming committee," to my ears Jupiter seemed businesslike about the human wreckage before her, "so, Mercury, where do we go from here?"

"The corridor from this room leads to another security door," the soft glow of the laptop's screen made visible Mercury's face, "but the door and walls are too heavily shielded for me to penetrate through."

"They know we're here," V stood up and looked at me with a twinkle in her baby blues, "so why don't we cut out the sneaky stuff and go for a full frontal?"

"With only one corridor it looks like we have no choice," I open a pouch in my ammo belt and pulled out a lump of C-4 the size of my fist along with a mercury cap, "V-chan, I need you to take out the cameras at the door so they won't know when the door blows."

"Mercury?" the blue-haired Sailor Senshi nodded at Jupiter's question, "Okay, when the door goes, we go in like we planned, V-chan first, me second, Mercury third and Seijoki last."

"Before we go jumping down Hell's throat," I asked as we made our way across the room, "can one of you tell me exactly how powerful these hybrids are?"

"Fully integrated hybrids have various mental powers but those were destroyed when we stopped Tomoe-sensei," Mercury explained, "what we are probably facing here are enhanced humans and failed hybrids; they have above average strength and dexterity, plus they have the ability to infect you by feeding on your life force."

"Sounds like a bad pulp writer's idea of a space vampire," all three of them looked at me like I was a brick, "What?"

Before anyone could say something V pulled up before the corridor and pointed with her right index finger while left hand held her right arm, shouting, "CRESCENT BEAM!"

Once more my helmet's visor darkened to take the edge off the glare from the light beam as it left V's right index finger, going the breath of the corridor and smashed the daylights out of the camera. V blew on her pistol finger, saying, "Just call me Little Orphan Annie."

Mercury had a pained expression, Jupiter rolled her eyes and I groaned at the mangling of American Pop Culture by the bombshell before saying, "My turn," I ran down the hall as fast as I could with the Sailor Senshi right behind me. At the door I threaded three handfuls of the C-4 along its crack before jamming a mercury fuse in the plastic explosive.

"Fire in the hole!" I shouted and we took shelter against the walls, the flash and thunder was as I expected, so was the door disappearing into the darkness of the room.

"Mercury!" Jupiter shouted extra loud.

"Ten enti . . ." Mercury coughed as she looked at the readout from her laptop, " . . . entities, three humans, six flawed hybrids," then her head shot up, her water-colored eyes wide, "and one Deathbuster."

I worked my way to the door and took a quick peep, machinegun rounds were my reward, "That was smart," Jupiter frowned at me before returning her gaze to Mercury, asking, "Layout."

"Reception room with the tables form into a barricade to defend the two doors," Mercury had to shout over the sound of gunfire.

"In I go!" I saw V jump in the air and slide to a low crouch on the floor, I could tell from her angle she could see the ceiling without being in the line-of-fire of gunmen. "LOVE ME CHAIN!" the masked Senshi called out, the heart shaped links shot into the room at a 45 degree angle, in five seconds I heard a stone fractured sound and the bombshell grab it with both hands, immediately the metal band contracted and a red-white-and-blue blur she flew up into the room.

"Now, my turn!" Jupiter shot up from her knees and charged into the room, V's surprised entrance drew the gunmen's attention from the entrance for a second and I watched the green-clad Senshi make it to the receptionist desk, concrete chips in her footprints.

Having Jupiter and V inside the room allowed me to get a better look at our opponents and I had to force my head back into cover. It wasn't the Deathbuster that scared me, she looked human even with the weird hairdo, it was the flawed hybrids, them floating in the air with tentacles hanging down from their black bloated bodies. I didn't notice until someone called my name that I was staring at Mercury, my nightmare terror must have been in my eyes because she said, "Seijoki, snap out of it, we need you."

Three years, three years since I have been in a real firefight, what the girls and I have done as PIs during these few years didn't remotely count because we knew the odds; here I didn't. With forced concentration I shook the rust off my instincts, saying to the azure girl, "What's happening inside?"

Mercury let out a sigh before looking at her laptop, "V and the Deathbuster are taking potshots at each other, not letting the other get a clear shot," her right hand touched a key before she continued, "the gunmen have Jupiter pinned behind the desk but their heavy gunfire are keeping the hybrids from getting . . . LOOK OUT!"

The Water Senshi must have seen it by way of her laptop's screen and I reacted to her command like she was a sergeant major, I leaped backwards from the entrance, my left hand bracing my right hand as I drew a bead on the thing floating in my sights, shoving away the ice that threatened to freeze my mind. First came the sound of my revolver going off, second came the added inertia to my leap from its kick, third came the holy blue flame out of the barrel and fourth was the white smoke from the paper cartridge. The monster's body recoiled from the impact of the slug before it let out an unholy scream and exploded. I blinked a few times and then I gathered myself into a crouching position, looked about me at the way my surroundings were painted by the creature's innards, it was now my gaze locked on the blood and gore covered Mercury. The intensity of the blue-steel gaze she was giving her gloved hand, a red drenched hand she held before her face, a hand whose palm she put to her mouth and licked.

Forget orders, I decided Mercury didn't need any backup when I fled into the hornet nest in the next room, the angry buzzing here must have drowned out the sound of the critter's explosion because I didn't become a target until I was halfway to a upturned sofa. One shot, two, three, I wasn't as fast as the Sailor Senshi nor was I as small as they were, but I was lucky enough for the slugs to hit my armored jacket and I played the act of them knocking me off my feet, it was a quick way of rolling to a kneeling position behind the russet-colored sofa.

"SUPREME THUNDER DRAGON!" a reptilian beast of lightening appeared over the place where Jupiter hide and attacked the two of the three floating hybrids driving on me, probably thinking a wounded target would be a easy meal, the third one I blew up just inches above me. I crawled left to the far end of the sofa and peeked around that end. What I found was something straight out of an anime, V was swinging all over the high ceiling, throwing beams left-right-and-center at the Deathbuster, who was imitating the masked lady's maneuvers but using a barbed whip instead of the heart-shaped chain. The three gunmen kept firing at Jupiter, her staying behind the desk told me the Senshi weren't bulletproof, and the two remaining black blimps were giving me the eye or as it were. They wanted me bad but the deaths of their kin kept them performing evasive maneuvers up above me.

I took a chance and glanced at the entrance behind me but I couldn't see Mercury because of the angle, then I was startled a little when I heard the watery music of a harp along with a shout, "MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!" Several dewdrop-shaped icicles flew through the doorway and impelled one of the floating hybrids and sent the other one tumbling away. By reflex I lined up a shot at where I believed it would stop and it did. At the same time of my kill, two of the gunmen fired in the direction the rain of ice came from and I heard a feminine scream.

"MERCURY!" the ribbon holding together Jupiter's ponytail got shredded by automatic fire when the tall girl impulsively came out of her crouch, she ducked again but not before she gave me an accusing glare.

"Hell's Bells," I pulled out two hand grenades from my ammo belt, I was saving these puppies for any other opposition we might run into, but right now we had a man down and I was the only one here with any medical training. I pulled the pins separately, tossing them overhand, hopping the gunmen would see them coming and duck.

"Look out! Shit!" I heard from the gunmen followed by the sounds of the grenades bouncing once, twice, but I wasn't watching, I was running back the way I came and I didn't react when the explosions sounded muffled.

"YES!" a corner of an eye movement showed me Jupiter leaping over the desk but that was all I got, I was kicking myself for leaving Mercury. This was exactly what V and Jupiter had warned me about and I failed them because I let my imagination get the better of me. I couldn't let what I found in the other room freeze me, finding the blue-haired girl on the gore splashed floor, the abdomen part of her white blouse punctured and soaked with flesh blood, her blue-haired head rolling, eyelids fluttering and teenage limbs shook in shock.

"I'm here!" I shouted as I fell to my knees next to Mercury, my hands pulling up what was left of her blouse, my silent prayer was answered for the three holes in her weren't pumping heart blood out, so no major blood vessel was hit. I stuck my index finger into the entry wounds to check for any cloth from the blouse while my other hand reached underneath her. My heart stopped, the exit wounds were huge, larger than they should have been, which meant the bastards were using dumdum rounds. Finding nothing in the wounds, I pulled out two large pressure bandages from my ammo belt, Mercury let out a gasp of pain as I pulled her to a sitting position and slapped one of the bandages on her lower back, then I quickly but gently laid her on the floor and pressed the second bandage on her stomach. Knowing all the signs of shock I covered her with my jacket before I held her head still with my hands, shouting into her face, "Don't die on me, trooper, you hear!"

Mercury's steel-blue eyes focused on my eyes, "Yesssss . . ." hissed out between her tiny fangs.

"Obey," great, my imagination was hotwiring me again.

"Go help the others," Mercury's voice as liquid as her namesake.

"That won't be necessary," the voice of Jupiter pulled me out of my focused attention on Mercury and I realized that the noise of battle was gone, my gaze turned to the ginger-haired Senshi, crouching next to me, her right hand tenderly combing the short blue hair out Mercury's eyes, "You forgot to duck again, Mercury."

"Computer . . . analyst . . . stalemate . . ." Mercury's breathing was less labored; a good sign to me.

"So your solution was to toss in your two-cents," V pronounced from her pose in the doorway, over her left shoulder I could see the Deathbuster hanging from the roof by her own whip around her broken neck.

"All other solutions . . . had too many variables . . ." Mercury began to pull herself to a kneeling position, "too many led to failure."

"Whoa, you could have internal bleeding," I immediately put my hands on the blue-haired Senshi's shoulders to restrain her, "so stay off your feet until we can get you to a real doctor."

"I'm fine, Seijoki, thanks to your quick thinking and Sailor Senshi accelerated healing rate," I just realized Mercury's eyes weren't doing that sapphire-steel-blue thing anymore, they were staying steel-blue.

"Eh, Guys," I ignored V, instead my eyes locked on Jupiter's green orbs, trying to get her to back me.

"Maybe you should listen to Seijoki, Mercury," I heard concern in Jupiter's tone but there was something else there, "from the look of your blouse I would say you lost a lot of blood," it caused her to sound apprehensive.

"Guys."

"I'm fine," just to prove her point Mercury pushed through my hands to a one knee posture, "all I need to do is to take it easy for a minimum of a hour, that's all."

"Guys."

"I might be just a medic but it's going to take longer than a hour to replace the blood you lost," my medical training warring with my commonsense about the three girls not being normal, "besides the six gaping holes in you."

"Six . . ." Jupiter's right hand was on Mercury's bended knee, her head level with the azure teen's head, her eyes buzzed with shock.

Mercury's glare softened under the heartwarming gaze coming from Jupiter, "I'm fine, really," a shy tone to her words.

"GUYS!"

"What?" I was annoyed, it looked like Jupiter was about to convince Mercury to stay put, but the anger in my eyes fled when I saw why V was trying to get our attention, there before us was Asano Isaburo towering over V from behind, his left arm lifted the bombshell off her feet while his right hand pressed the barrel of his Berretta into the soft flesh beneath her chin.

"Nice to know I finally got your attention," an irritate tone to V's words.

"Such a pretty wrecking crew," Isaburo's eyes glowed like rubies as he leered at us, "and Seijoki here too."

"Hey, don't squeeze the Charmin!" V snarled at her captor.

"Oh, great, another Deathbuster," Jupiter muttered as she slowly turned on her boot heels. I noticed this gave Mercury a better view of what was happening.

"Asano-san," I saw his eyes focus on me, I half-turned so I could look at him but still able to see Mercury, "your lab in Tokyo is gone, your men at both places are dead and police want you for that bad batch you put out on the street."

"I don't think so," Isaburo's voice sounded inhuman, "the batch did as it was suppose to do, just as you four will find out," his gaze got nasty at Jupiter slight motion up, "Ah-ah, I don't think you want to find out if a Sailor Senshi can grow a new brain or not."

I knew jack-shit about what a real Deathbuster could do but Isaburo was strong enough to render V helpless in his arms, "You can't watch all of us, Asano-san, you'll make a mistake and we'll be all over you like a cheap suit."

"All I have to do is infect one of you and wait," Isaburo's face had a manic look to it.

"I rather jam that gun up your asshole," Jupiter growled as she flexed her hands.

"You might be able to do it, princess," Isaburo forced V's neck back with his gun, "but could you stand seeing Sailor V a vegetable for the rest of her life?"

With my Desert Eagle on the floor next to Mercury, I was in the same boat as Jupiter, "How about a deal, Asano-san?"

"Why deal, I'm going to have four new Deathbusters as my sluts," if there was a failing in the average Nihonjin male, it was arrogance toward any female.

"No deal," Mercury's words caught my attention but it was the glow to her face that knotted up my stomach.

"To bad," Isaburo didn't sound like he was sorry, but a second passed and his eyes grew, yet another minute passed and his orbs grew huge, his words sputtering, "I . . . I can't . . . pull the trigger."

My eyes shifted back and forth between the demonic fire in Mercury's steel-blue eyes and the growing black fear in Isaburo's eyes, his shaking hand with the gun inching away from V's head. In a heartbeat his other arm went slack and the bombshell landed on the ground, butt first.

"Ouch..." V exclaimed but she rolled head-over-heels away from Isaburo before she stood up and complained, "Couldn't you be a little easier, Mercury?"

At the same time as V's release I scooped up my own gun from the floor and stood up, asking the blonde, "Would you rather have nothing between your ears?"

V's mouth twitched but she said, "Okay, point taken."

I took a moment to look at Isaburo and I noticed his hand inched the gun closer and closer to his own jaw, sweat making his face shine, hysterical mumbling coming from his lips, "No-no-no-no."

"You can release Asano-san, Mercury," I lined up my revolver for a head shot, "the police would love to take him down."

"No," Jupiter crossed her arms over her chest, "he's a Deathbuster and he has to die."

"Mercury, this doesn't have to end this way," I was hoping to play upon the logical mind I believed the shorthaired girl had.

There was no response from Mercury, her gaze never wavering, but I got a response from V, "We've been judge, jury and executioners for too long, Seijoki, for you to expect anything different."

It was true, I knew this was the war the Sailor Senshi had been fighting over the last two-and-a-half years, protracted battles to protect the people of Earth from things we only find in our worst nightmares, we wanted those creatures killed, we didn't want to face them and have to deal with them ourselves.

As the gun moved under his chin, Isaburo whimpering grew louder, him begging for mercy, pleading for us to turn him over to the police, and I knew he was a dead man from the stoic looks on the faces of Jupiter and V, all I could do was to slap my gun into the holster on my hip, faced Isaburo and said, "Die as a samurai, Asano-san."

My eyes blink when the discharge of his own gun ended Isaburo's cries, its sound leaving me unaware of Mercury's plight until I felt her fall against my right leg, but Jupiter must have been watching her, her strong arms cradle the Messenger's Avatar before she could slip off my leg. I didn't go to the azure girl aid, instead I looked at V and I asked her, "Does mercy not count in Sailor Moon's heart?"

For a moment V's manic expression fled, the eyes I saw behind her red party mask were ancient and war weary, then her insanity was back, "You heard the Man, we're the wrecking crew! Wreck-Wreck-Wreck-" she pumped the air with her fists like she had pom-poms.

I sighed. What else could I do? These weren't my people, Jupiter and Mercury were Sailor Moon's bodyguard, at least according to the anime and the manga they were. V was supposed to be Sailor Venus as stated by the same sources but I knew there were times when she would once more don the mask of Sailor V. So I retreat back to what I knew and knelt next to Jupiter, who had pulled Mercury into her lap. A wet sheen covered the shorthaired soldier's face and her eyelashes were frosted with a sliver of steel-blue, but the way she licked her lips, the animalistic need her expression showed, those things made it hard for me gulp a question, "Jupiter, how is she?"

One blink, two blinks, and then Mercury's eyes stay open and the hunger was gone. A blush painted her cheeks at where she found herself, her voice saying, "Jupiter, you can put me down."

"Haven't we heard that song and dance before," V called out from her post next to the entrance to the other room.

Mercury made an annoyed noise while she forcefully took herself out of Jupiter's arms, "A gunshot weakened me a little and my mind control sapped my remaining strength, but I am good to go." Seeing our suspicious looks the school genius added, "Really."

"I believe you, Mercury," Jupiter reinforced her words by placing her hand on the shorter girl's shoulder. It wasn't my call to make; Jupiter was the current leader of our little group, even if my combat senses told me that Mercury was only on her feet due to sheer willpower on her part.

Not waiting for orders I headed for the entrance where the firefight took place and I got a nasty surprise. The female Deathbuster was hanging from the roof by her whip around her broken neck and the Yakuza boys looked and smelled like grilled pork chops. I must have frozen near the entrance because it took V's voice to knock me back into reality, "So this is where that Yakuza boss came from."

V had pushed a broken full-length mirror away from the wall behind the bullet-cheesed desk, in that hidden part of the wall was an unlit corridor. I took a step toward V but I stopped as a dizzy spell hit me, Jupiter's voice asking me, "What's wrong? Were you hit?"

"Just a touch of combat fatigue as my Grandpa would call it," Mercury took my wrist and felt my pulse while she stared up at me, "Are you going to play mother hen too?" I was glad my helmet kept her from seeing my creep-out look.

"How is he, Mercury?" Jupiter was looking over her shoulder at us, she had joined V at the hidden passageway, and the red-white-and-blue heroine was leaning into the abovementioned hall.

"His pulse is a little fast but it would be something I would expect from a combat veteran," Mercury let go of my wrist and joined the others. V was first into the passageway with Jupiter right behind her and the Water Senshi began to follow, but paused to look back at me, "Seijoki, are you coming?"

I nodded and followed the azure girl, my eyes on the passage I'm going in but my brain putting things together at a rapid pace. The manga was far off, the Sailor Senshi were soldiers in every sense of the word, hardened veterans, who were soft-peddled by the newspaper and the anime series, most likely because of the censors and political convenience. I also remembered Takeuchi Naoko and her editor worked hard so she could create the manga her way. So what did my detective mind think of the Sailor Senshi so far? Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars I wasn't around long enough to form a firm judgment, but that wasn't true of the three I was with now. Sailor V acted like a loose cannon with a mouth she wheeled like a stiletto, Sailor Jupiter was a thunderstorm ready to rain on anyone's parade and Sailor Mercury was creepy with her willow weaving of shy scientist and otherworldly being. I knew I was spitting hairs, all three of the Sailor Senshi were much different from their two dimensional profiles, and there was an underlining tension between them, a strained friendship. I needed to be careful here, emotions could flare unexpectedly and revelations could spill out and my head could end up on a plate.

"Oh my stars and garters, how many cameras does this place have?" V's exclamation reached me before I saw her. Once Mercury and I were inside the room where Jupiter and V were, I understood was the blond bombshell meant, the room was wall-to-wall screens with the buttons and dials of a highly advanced security nerve center. We watched V send a cascade of images to the screens as sat in a wheeled chair and let her fingers do the walking.

"We better scout out those rooms to make sure no one is hiding," green intensity in Jupiter's eyes, "then destroy everything so no one can make anymore Deathbusters."

"Great idea," V was out of the chair and heading for the door in a rainbow blur, "You take the left side and I'll take the right side."

A gloved hand darted out but Jupiter missed grabbing V before the blonde disappeared into the hallway, the Lightening Senshi sighed noisily, "Mercury, we better do as V-chan said." The ponytail brunette looked at me and asked, "Seijoki, do you know how to operate this equipment?"

"Yes I do, Jupiter," my service for Uncle Sam included things other than shooting and explosives.

"Good, use this stuff to check for any possible ambushes, for anyone we smoke out, for anything we might miss," Jupiter counted out her orders with her fingers, "and use the Senshi communicator to guide us."

"Roger Wilco," my salute got the lopsided smile I wanted from Jupiter, even Ami shyly grinned at me. Before I headed for the main terminal, I watch the two run down the hallway with Mercury lagging a little behind her companion, the cold sweat I saw on her pale face made me want to second guess the decision of me staying here.

Smoothly I sat and took off my helmet, ruffling my hair as I let my eyes adjust to the artificial light. Next I put on the intercom earphone on and tested out the buttons and dials to learn their purpose, which didn't take long. It didn't take me long to find V, the girl must be half Apache because her red hair ribbon was the only thing the cameras could zero in on; she was diffidently the sneaky type. Finding Jupiter and Mercury was easy, a nearly six feet frame was much harder to hide than a five feet body, plus there was a distinction in style between V and Jupiter. Mercury seemed to mode herself to her partner's method, her actions were reactions to what was going on around her, yet I knew there was something wrong with her. The shorthaired girl was trying to hide it but the camera doesn't lie, the cold sweat was heavy on her face and those blue-steel eyes of hers were getting a panic look in them whenever her companion wasn't looking at her, she was scared of something or someone.

Shifting back and forth between the screens showing the two groups, I would sometimes lose them when I moved to a new camera in another room. It would take me a couple of seconds to find the rooms where the Sailor Senshi where at.

"Seijoki, V-chan, how are we doing?" Mercury's voice came from the Senshi communicator.

I picked the device from the terminal and pressed a button, "No targets so far, Mercury."

"No Indians here, Bubbles," I glanced at the screen and as usually I saw a little flash of V's long flaxen hair.

Mercury frowned but kept her voice neutral, "Keep us informed of any developments, V-chan, Seijoki."

"I will, Mercury, out," I replied and turned my attention back to the screens.

It was a tedious sixty-five minutes after that exchange of words, the Sailor Senshi and Sailor V moved at a practiced pace, Mercury and Jupiter would have me check the room with the cameras before going in while V would charge in and go for the closest cover, which meant I spent more time playing catch-up with her than the others. It was V who finished her section of the complex and asked me as she stood in an empty lab, "Anything else, Seijoki?"

'No, Sailor V," I ran several screens through the rooms she had visited, "No secret passages or hidden rooms."

"Then it is wreaking time," a five-year-old grin on V's face, "Love Me Chain!"

Glass smashed, wood splintered, chemicals splattered and metal sounds filled the intercom and I watched V use her heart chain to tear everything. "Get out, V!" I shouted when I saw the chemical mix and combust into multi-colored flames.

Thank God the emergency fire system worked and drenched the room with treated water from spouts in the ceiling, of course V whined, "Hey! Don't rain on my carnival."

"The system is automatic, Sailor V," I put fatherly tone to my words.

"Well, at least I can keep smashing things," manic glee back on V's lips and the blonde havoc continued.

"We're almost done here, Seijoki," Mercury's voice interrupted my chain-of-thought.

I switched over to their screen and I was surprised by what I saw; both Mercury and Jupiter were standing in what looked like some kind of autopsy room. "Is this what I think it is?" My voice went cold when I saw the restraining braces on the sheet-covered tables, the various containers holding purple eggs, and the surgical instruments you would find in such a room.

"Yes, this is where they inserted the eggs into their human hosts," Mercury's voice was a cold as mine and she had her laptop out scanning the room.

"I hate this room," Jupiter's voice crackled with emotion, "Why do people love to hurt the defenseless."

"We know why Tomoe-sensei did it," Mercury continued to look at her device's readout.

"Asano-san did it because he was drunk on power," I added my reason, the one I used the most often to describe the human monsters living amongst us.

"I'm going to love turning this place into junk," Jupiter's hands clenched and unclenched.

"I'm going to run the cameras through the rest of the rooms in case someone came in after us," I said, but I kept the cameras in the operation room, where Mercury and Jupiter were at, active.

"This is it," Mercury closed her laptop and put it away, "the whole complex has been searched. "I'll wait outside while you sterilize this room, Jupiter." The azure girl walked toward the exit, her gloved hand moved along the operation table, using it as support.

"Mercury . . ." Jupiter noticed it too.

"I'm fine, Jupiter," Mercury used her other hand to wave the tall girl off without looking back, "the bullet took more out of me than I thought, that's all."

The movement of Jupiter's arm was like lightening, the camera barely caught her hand pinching Mercury's right ear and the result was instantaneous. Mercury wheeled about and snarled at her comrade, pure animal was in her blue-steel eyes and her fangs looked extra-long, then just as suddenly the look was gone, her cheeks flush and shame filled her eyes, the fangs shrank but you could see the points against her painted lips, a word hissed out, "Makoto . . ."

I rocked back in my seat. I shouldn't have been surprised by this disclosure since Jupiter and Makoto looked too much alike, yet something made me react in shock. I watched as Jupiter stepped close to Mercury, the camera mikes barely picked up her voice, "When was the last time you fed?"

"Fifteen days ago, not since my metamorphosis," then her head bolted up to look at her tall friend, "but how did you know, I didn't know until Usagi-chan told me I hadn't changed back?"

"How did I know?" The back of the fingers of Jupiter's right hand lightly caressed Mercury's left cheek, "Silly, I knew it the moment my classes stopped being so boring."

Mercury's eyes widen, her words rush out, "The blood bond." When she saw the confused look on Jupiter's face, she explained, "Usagi-chan told me that when I took your blood, a bond was created between you and I."

"That explains a lot," Jupiter's right hand drifted down to clasp Mercury's left hand, "I was in Harada-sensei's geometry class, ready to pull my hair out, when I thought about how easy you handle this stuff. Suddenly I because energized by what he was drawing on the board, I took notes, solved problems in my workbook and I wasn't having any trouble understanding it."

Mercury broke contact with Jupiter's eyes, she held her right hand to her lips, saying, "Oh my, three days ago I stopped at a Crown Parlor and Unazuki-san had cooked some wonderful cookies and after sampling them, I . . . I got into a discussion with her about the different spices she used, temperature setting, cooking time . . . everything."

"Then you know I love you," Jupiter's other hand ruffled Mercury's page-cut hair.

"But is it true," real fear in Mercury's soft voice, her eyes glanced up at Jupiter's eyes, "or is it the thing I am making you feeling it?"

"You know I lusted for you before you bit me," Jupiter coyly admonished Mercury, "Isn't that true?"

"I know from your aura you were attracted to me," Mercury's blush reached the tips of her ears, "and you were excited to have me as your first taste of lesbian sex."

"You called me, Thunderheart," Jupiter's right hands interlaced with Mercury's left hand.

"It was like your heart was in my chest, merging with my heart and driving me deeper and deeper into ecstasy," Mercury leaned into Jupiter, the top of her head just under the ginger-haired girl's chin.

"Yet you love Urawa-kun, don't you?" it wasn't an accusation from Jupiter, only a statement of facts.

"I do..." Mercury's head was against Jupiter's ample chest, "I . . . I was ecstatic when Ryo-kun volunteered to work at Mom's hospital and I know he got Mom to arrange things so we would worked the same shift and on the same floor together."

Jupiter let the fingertips of her left hand glide up and down Mercury's spine. I could actually see Mercury shiver from the touch, Jupiter's lips near her right ear, "You haven't told Urawa-kun about what happened to you, have you?"

"No, how could I," Mercury's eyes looked desperate, "to tell him I did this to myself because I couldn't stand what I was, a wallflower, someone who couldn't even kiss him."

"Have you kissed him?" Jupiter's fingernails nimbly scratched the nap of Mercury's neck.

"I . . . I plan to, I . . . I think Ryo-kun wants to," an uncertain tone to Mercury's words. Now cobalt eyes looked into emerald eyes, fear in the azure's girls words, "Mako-chan, I . . . me . . . the hunger . . . I'm barely controlling myself."

"Then you need to feed, Ami-chan," I watched Jupiter's hand slowly message Mercury's neck.

"I . . . I'm confused," Mercury's tone sounded frantic, she pulled her body tighter against Jupiter's frame, "I . . . I love Ryo-kun but . . . but I want you too."

"As a friend or as a lover?" Jupiter's continued to keep her lips next to Mercury's ear.

"Both," Mercury's eyes rolled into the back of her head, "Mako-chan . . ."

"Let go, Ami-chan," Jupiter kissed Mercury's ear while adding, "I trust you with all my love."

It was like Mercury and Jupiter changed places. Mercury's blush disappeared into cold power while Jupiter's green eyes took on a glassy, cheerful look; the smaller body became statuesque while the taller body looked like a puppet.

"Revert, Mako-chan."

There was soft green shimmer and Sailor Jupiter became Kino Makoto, the sixteen-year-old was dressed in a rifleman green, heavy wool sweater and lemony pants, along with white sneakers.

"Take off your clothes, Mako-chan."

Makoto let go of Mercury and began to take off her clothes. Little voices were speaking in my head, 'I should turn the screen off, give them some privacy, she is a vampire, I should stop her, stop her how? She isn't a normal vampire?' I shook my head and remembered what the two exchanged, how Jupiter was literally seducing Mercury, trying to get the Water Senshi to release the darkness inside of her. The way her body moved, the feel good smile on her face; it spoke clearly to me of mind control by Mercury's vampiric nature. I rolled my eyes when I remembered what Mercury said about auras and I hit a button I found earlier, the screen washed out of colors except for the auras around Mercury and Makoto. I hope this stuff was like the mood rings I brought as a kid but what I saw confused me until I once more remembered what Mercury said about the blood bond. The auras were the same, a swirl of midnight blue, forest green and star sapphire moving at a rapid rate, they both were excited, psychologically, spiritually.

I switched the camera back to normal mode just as a bluish glow surrounded Mercury and I couldn't help feel a shock at seeing Mercury becoming Ami, I was getting to dislike this stupid emotional reaction on my part and at what was causing it, whatever it was. Ami was dressed in a golden orange blouse with a matching ankle-length skirt of Scottish checkerboard orange, green and black, above her half-boots were creamy blue legwarmers.

My eyes return to Makoto and I did a double take on what she was wearing as panties and bra, a matching pair decorated with pastel red and white tulips. It was clear to me what the message Makoto was sending to Ami was, and it looked to me like Ami was receiving it loud and clear.

"Lay down on the table, Mako-chan."

Obediently the ginger girl hooped on the table and lay down, her meek eyes never leaving Ami's unblinking eyes. Now Ami efficiently stripped down to her underwear, a silvery blue panties and strapless bra. Ami was much like many Japanese women I've seen naked, small but perky breasts with a small tuft of properly trim azure pubic hair. On the other hand Makoto's build would get her labeled an American in Japanese high school slang, two ample breasts to go with her queen sized body.

Ami flowed like water onto the table more than she did climb. Makoto's eyes lock on her friend's eyes as the smaller girl straddled the larger girl's right leg. With a single finger she hooked the string of her friend's panties and carefully pulled them down to the middle of the thighs, the vampire's head bowed to just above the green-haired lips and I heard her sniff. There was a smoky look in those steel-blue eyes to match her soft, sultry voice, "Mako-chan, do you truly want me?"

"Yes," Makoto propped herself on her elbows, her eyes no longer meek, "The first time turned my fantasies into flesh, I want them like that again."

It was seduction as a fine art, Ami kept her head barely above Makoto's body, stopping every few inches to taste her friend's skin before she captured the ginger-haired girl's lips with her own. I couldn't miss their tongues filling each other mouths nor did I miss the pale girl's hands blushing Makoto's bra straps from her shoulders. Ami's mouth pulled on Makoto's lower lip and a sudden yap of surprise left the bigger girl's mouth. Their lips part and I saw a mark of shinny red on Makoto's lower lip. Ami stared hungrily at the blood, her legs tight around the tall girl's waist. Makoto grinned up, a devilish grin, and immediately the vampire used her tongue to smear the blood on her lover's lips before locking lips once more. With a smooth motion Ami's left hand slipped Makoto's right breast out of the bra, the light pink flesh of the lower part cupped in her fingers while her thumb making circles on the dark pink areole until the nipple became a point.

It was fascinating the way this was developing. Ami was doing everything, Makoto was passive, leaning on her elbows while moaning softly and her body was reacting to the vampire's method. Clearly this was a role reversal that was a turn-on for the normally aggressive girl. Was it a fetish for the smaller girl? The way Ami fought against her vampiric hunger made it obvious she wasn't comfortable with it. It was Makoto's desire for Ami combined with Ami's need for blood that created what I was watching.

When their lips part this time, a little giggle came from Makoto, "My lips feel funny."

"I know, my saliva deadens nerves," Ami replied as her right hand freed Makoto's left breast. There was no pause as the school genius crawled down the sweating body, her legs hooking around Makoto's legs. I hadn't notice until now Makoto's legs were parted, her arousal plain by the wetness of her pubic hair and the way her blood red clit poke out of its sheath. Ami's lips began to plant a field of roses upon Makoto's right breast while the fingers of her left hand took turns playing with the left breast, pulling, rolling and pinching the nipple.

Makoto rolled her head rolling back and forth, her words coming between soft moans, "Please . . . Ami-chan . . . please . . . please bite my . . . my breast."

I saw Ami's mouth leave Makoto's breast, another moan escaping from the ginger girl's lips as the vampire's tits rubbed against her supersensitive mounds and when Ami spoke, the tone was heavy with darkness, "Why should I, Lightening Born?" Steel-blue hunger bored into Makoto's eyes, "You are mine to eat as I please."

Pleasurable noises came from Ami when she once more sucked on Makoto's bleeding lip, her captive letting out a wanton hiss, "Please, Ami-chan, suckle me like a baby."

Ami pulled Makoto's lip out a little with her tiny fangs before letting it go, a delicious smile upon her lips and she stared at her friend's pleading expression. I saw two faces superimposed upon that young face; Ami's earthly bliss warped by the vampire's unearthly needs, yet one look on Makoto's face and you could see the same primordial urges. The smile remained on Ami's face and her smaller body wiggled down her friend's body, twin moans coming from both girls' lips. There were over six cameras in this room and it wasn't a big jump in deductive reasoning to think the reason why for this arrangement, either Tomoe-sensei or Asano-san were real sick puppies. The next camera I switched to showed Ami was looking between their bodies, how her legs around Makoto's thighs, her double-jointed body fitted her panty-covered groin smugly to her lover's glistening green vagina.

"Ami . . ." Makoto spoke the name, like Ami I heard the lust wanting release and the vampire complied. The blue-haired creature answered her lover's call, her left hand brutally squeezed her lover's left breast and her tongue stained the pale flesh with blood-dyed salvia. Even with her body still locked by the dark creature's power, Makoto's breathing deepened and sweat poured off her face. It started as a rumbling growl in Ami's chest as she pulled back and became an animal howl as her head plunged down. Even with my experience I still jumped in my chair at the display of supernatural ferocity, but Makoto's reaction to the tiny fangs penetrating her left nipple was a tiny gasp filled with pleasurable pain.

Makoto's eyes flutter closed and she collapsed on the table, a quick glance on my part showed her chest was rising and falling. My attention focused back on Ami, the azure vampire removed her fangs from her lover's nipple and her tongue lapped up the free flowing blood milk, her other hand slowly fingering the other nipple. I couldn't stop myself from feeling a strange sense of awe watching the change of expression on Makoto's face, I swear she looked angelic, her soul the purest grace, while Ami's face look demonic, her darkness making her lover shine.

In this black-white heat, Ami began to rub her vagina against Makoto's vagina. It was hard for me to tell whose love juices soaked the silky panties that separated the two organs. Once more the pattern followed, the ginger girl staying passive while the azure girl started slow but quickly she pick up her pace, the sweat dripping off her chin and the hazy lust in her eyes left me with the impression that the blood she was feasting on was driving her wild. The climax came suddenly. The lights in the room dimmed while Ami threw her head back again and drove her fangs into Makoto's left breast. It was impossible for me not to hear the noise of the vampire sucking on the nipple, her vagina grinding merciless against Makoto's vagina. The display didn't last more than two minutes, Ami's head slide off Makoto's nipple followed by the rest of her body, her eyes closed while her left arm draped over the ginger girl's breasts, it smearing the blood from the claw marks left on both of them. The vampire's lips barely moved, yet the love they uttered was clear to me, "Thunderheart."

"What a wonderful horizontal bump," I shouldn't have jumped but I did, finding Sailor V's face almost touching mine made it clear I suffered a little tunnel vision while watching. What happened next was totally unexpected, V turning me in my chair, her knees in my lap while the rest of her body pressed against my chest and her baby blues the only thing I could see. "Let see if we can do better," those words from V made me try to swallow but something pushed into my mouth stopped me.

I felt weightless for a second, V's mouth mashed on my mouth, and then the back of my head slammed against the floor. So surprised was I by V's advance that I didn't notice my body trying to lean away from her body. My vision swam for a few seconds before it cleared to find the blonde bombshell knelt beside me, her hands holding my head, "Are you okay, sweetie?"

I must have passed out while watching Ami and Makoto go at it must have knocked me off my feet, literally, with Sailor V trying to wake me up, "I think so."

"Good," with that V's lips locked me again.

This wasn't some perverted dream. V was doing her best to touch my tonsils with her tongue while her left hand drifted down my chest, down my stomach, heading for you-know-where. I was as stiff as a board, indecisive about what to do, knowing anything I try could turn things ugly. When her hand reached that special place between my legs, I felt her whole body stop as her patted the area a couple of times, then she jumped away from me like I was a leper and landed on her butt by the communication terminal. The masked maiden's eyes tripled in size, her mouth moving a mile a minute but making no sound, I just shook my head, somewhat disappointed by her reaction, my voice going to its true nature, "Yes, V-chan, I have a twat."

I watched curiously as Sailor V's face went through several shades of blush before she mumbled out, "At least you aren't an eunuch."

IT was too much, the stress of the last few days, watching a vampire feast on a willing victim, V thinking I was a man, I started to laugh and laugh and laugh, soon the petite blonde joined me. We laughed together, our mirth shared, our backs leaning against each other. Finally I got to down to an intermitted giggle and I asked, "So you thought someone had made a he-man into a she-male?"

It took a long time for Sailor V to answer, "Yeah . . . yeah." the humor suddenly leaving her voice, "How?"

"I inherit some special genes from my paternal grandfather," I could only give her an edited version of the truth, "and when I was six, I began to grow like a weed and by my seventh birthday, puberty hit me."

"You were a teenager by the age of seven," astonishment was there in V's voice and so was pity.

"I didn't have much of a childhood, my friends were to scared to play with me, and school was Hell. Boys made fun of me and girls were jealous," remembering those didn't hurt like it use to but I still made me feel hollow.

"But why the deep voice?" V asked.

"I wanted out of school and get into the family business, the United States Army, as soon as possible, but I didn't want to get stuck in a logistic unit, so with a little help from my family and me learning how to keep my voice deep, I became a grunt."

"No one turned you in?" V turned around was looking around my left shoulder.

I shook my head, "Daddy and Grandpa have a lot of influence in the Army and my bunkmates thought it was a great joke to pull at first, until they saw me in action and decided I was just like one of the boys."

"How come you don't have any tits?" To make her point, V used her left hand to reach around and feel my chest.

"What do you think happens to size A breasts when you decide to become a gym rat instead of going to school?" I didn't let the blonde know her hand was making my nipples hard.

I was caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of tears on her cheeks, her eyes hard and angry, her hands on my left shoulder and leg. "Why?" her voice shook with rage, "Why can jerks hurt us like that and get away with it?" I didn't know what to say but my speechlessness was filled by V, "They wouldn't leave my breasts alone! They pinched them all the time, even the girls!"

It dawn on me what V was saying, her body developed early like mine did, "How early did it happen?"

"Seven," her grip was iron, pain in her eyes, "they said . . . they said I had elephant tits."

Sticks and stones, they got the rhythm wrong, they might not break bones but they can break a soul, bleed tears from a heart, and like me, V went through that hell. I found my refuge in my family's profession. V didn't, she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Sailor V," it was lame for me to say it, I wasn't here, I wasn't involved in her daily torture by the proper behavior police, I just felt like I had to say something. The only other thing I could do was to pull her into a hug. She was so tiny in my arms, me, even seated on the floor I towered over her. Her body shaking against mine, her tears running down my leather coat; I had one hand slowly rubbing her back while the other patted her hair. I didn't know how long it took before her tears stop or when she fell into a peaceful sleep, I continued to hold her, my back against a wall, my head resting on her hair bow.

I must have fallen asleep because the next moment I felt something touching the middle of my forehead. I tried to open my eyes, tried to fully awake but I couldn't, my mind remained in a half-wake-half-sleeping state. What is more I could sense something going through my memories, sorting and analyzing each of them. I can't say how long before something sticky was pulled from my brow and soft feminine voice said, "You can open your eyes, Rogers-san."

I opened my eyes to find a fully clothed Ami standing over me, her two hands held a medical sensor and her laptop, a look of respect on her face. I was loosely holding a still sleeping Sailor V in my arms with a couple of blankets draped over us. The blue-haired girl's steel-blue eyes caused me to ask, "You are keeping V-chan asleep, like you did me earlier?"

"I thought we should have some time for a private conversation," Ami sat down in a chair, her eyes never leaving mine, "maybe give you a chance to ask some questions."

'Okay, let see how far I can go,' I thought, "How is Kino-san doing?"

A small smile appeared on the vampire's face, the points of her fangs barely visible against her lips. The teenager turned and pressed a button on the communication control board, a ginger-haired girl appeared on a screen above the panel. Much like V and me, several heavy blankets covered Makoto, she was sleeping on her right side on a medical bed and her breathing showed she was in a deep sleep. "As you can see, Makoto-chan is resting after everything she has gone through today."

I didn't miss the trace of shame in Ami's voice, "You care a lot for your friend, just as much as she cares for you."

"It wasn't until the blood bond developed that I discovered how much she loves me," Ami's feelings visible on her face, "and I found myself responding to it."

"You need her," I decided to take a risk, "you need her blood."

"Hai, I do," Ami downcast her eyes, "I . . . I never thought the freedom I wanted would come at this price."

Freedom, now things were making better sense to me, "Timothy Leary."

Ami looked up at me, "In a way you are correct, Rogers-san, I choose to become a vampire because it allowed my consciousness to move outside my psychological confines."

"You originally did it because you wanted to show your love for Urawa-san, openly," I remembered what Ami and Makoto talked about.

Ami nodded, "I love Ryo-kun, totally, but now," she twisted her hands together, "I don't know, I'm starting . . . to feel the same thing for Makoto-chan."

This was strange turn of events, much different from what Grandpa told me about vampires, so I asked, "Who sired you?"

"Sired?" You could see the dictionary term running in Ami's eyes before she realized what I meant, "You could say I sired myself."

"How?" I had a bad feeling.

"I used Sailor Venus' Compact," there was mixed emotions in Ami's answer, regret-resolve-acceptance.

This was bad news, really bad in my opinion. Ami didn't really know anything about being a vampire, even if she wasn't the garden-variety type. Ami's lack of knowledge about the blood bond already opened her up to Makoto's feelings and if her nature was more sensitive to her animalistic desires, which from what I saw seem to be true, then they could at times overwhelm her moral center. It didn't take much for me to ask, "Do you need to learn to be a vampire?"

Hope was the expression I saw on Ami's face, her eyes going sapphire and she was halfway out of her seat, "Could you . . . teach me?"

"No, I can't, Ami-san, I don't know enough," bad news first, good news second, "but I think Grandpa knows someone who can help you."

"Could you two keep it down, I'm trying to sleep," words mumble from V's lips. She shifted her head on my chest and cuddled a little tighter on my lap.

Ami smiled and I noticed the fangs were gone, "Every book I have found on vampirism is so full of lies that I can't depend on them to contain any real facts." Ami's expression remained optimistic as she sat back down, "if you or anyone else can teach me the truth about my condition, I . . . I would be grateful."

"Tell me about Sailor V," I decided to cash in my chips now.

The blue-haired girl chewed her lower lip before saying, "What do you want to know?"

"Sailor V is also Sailor Venus, correct?"

"She was Sailor Venus."

"What happened?"

Ami waited a few minutes, either she was composing her thoughts or she was giving the sleeping Sailor V a chance to interrupt, "In all of the battles against the Dark Kingdom, the Black Moon Family and the Dead Moon Circus, Sailor Venus was always able to make a difference. The rest of the Sailor Senshi were able to contribute to our victories but it was always Sailor Venus who made a real difference. She killed Queen Beryl, she wasn't captured by Rubeus, she was the first to penetrate the falsehood of Queen Nephrenia's dreams, but then came Sailor Galaxia."

"Sailor Venus failed."

"We all failed, if it wasn't for the selfless sacrifice of Eternal Sailor Moon, everything in the universe would have cease to existence and in return for her devotion to us, the universe was reborn as it was before."

"But deep inside Sailor Venus blamed herself for her friend's sacrifice."

"Sailor Venus is the Sailor Senshi true leader, not Sailor Moon."

"Then the manga is correct, Sailor Moon was originally the Moon Princess with the Sailor Senshi as her bodyguard."

"The Moon Princess is too important to risk in the chaos of battle. That is why we exist, to protect her."

"Sailor Venus believed she wasn't qualified to lead the Sailor Senshi anymore."

"When we returned to Earth, Sailor Venus gave her henshin wand to Sailor Moon, telling her to find another leader for the Sailor Senshi."

"Sailor Moon accepted Sailor Venus' resignation."

"The Moon Princess sensed the conflict within Sailor Venus' soul. She understood the need to let her friend resolve this inner battle in her own way."

"So this explains why Sailor V came out of retirement?"

"Hai, it allows Mi . . . my friend to heal her spirit while still helping the Sailor Senshi and others."

"Sailor V, crime fighter extraordinaire, a heroine without any worries of leadership, no duty to the Moon Princess."

"Correct."

"But some of your ranks do have a problem with it," my words came because of the mixed emotions I saw in Ami's eyes, "like Kino-san."

It was fast, the change to steel-blue in those eyes. Ami's voice the power of command, "Sleep."

I tried to fight against haze filling my mind, blinking my eyes and tried to keep my head from falling into silky field of Sailor V's hair, I failed.

(End of Part Three)


	5. Chapter 5

Story Title: Full Moon Fever

Series Title: House of the Holy

By Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" is the property of Troy "Silver" Stanton. This is here because several of the concepts I'm going to use in this series originated with Troy and his wonderful series. "Sailor Moon V: The Dark Adventures of the Sailor Scouts" can be found at:

My e-mail addresses are:

This is the second installment to this Sailor Moon series. At first this story will appear to be totally separate from the first installment but they are connected. Many will notice that I'm paying homage to the great detective novels of Dashell Hammett, Eric Stanley Gardner and Raymond Chandler. If you don't recognize any of these authors, then maybe you will know their creations, Sam Spade, Perry Mason and Philip Marlowe.

WARNING: This story contains adult language and adult scenes, so minors should get parental permission before reading this series.

Copyright: September 19, 2004

Proofreader: Lanis

Timeline: This installment takes place fifteen days after the first installment of "House of the Holy: Temptation and Seduction."

I was alone in the communications room when I woke up, someone had placed me flat on the floor, put a pillow under my head and a couple of blankets over me. At least I didn't get a headache like I do whenever someone used a blackjack on me. I got up, stretched and walked over to the security terminal. A quick check of the clock showed it was 11 a.m.; the vampire had put me out for a long time. I used the monitors and found the facility was completely trashed and no Sailor Senshi was in sight. It was then I decided to get out of this not-so-secret-base before the owners of the amusement park came to check out the damage done by Typhoon Ursula and find my hog at the front gate.

There was damage all over the amusement park but my good luck held; no civilians were in sight so Old Glory and I got the heck out of Dodge after I got into my civvies. Once I was a safe distance from Cosmo World, I took my cellphone out and dialed my office.

"God Almighty, Thisbe-san," the background noise from Yajue's end sounded like she was fighting World War Three, "I have a mutiny on my hands because we haven't heard anything from you for the pass twenty hours!"

"Sorry about worrying you, Number Two," I smiled at Yajue's hair-pulled-out tone, "one of the Sailor Senshi slipped me a Mickey and left me holding the bag."

"You were arrested?" sudden silence made Yajue's words harsh.

"No, I got out without anyone seeing me," I answered

"You hope," a cascade of sighs were added to Yajue's counter.

"Anyway, I'm on my way back to Tokyo," I decided to check on the news. "What does Tokyo look like?"

"Typhoon Ursula did a number, Boss," Ichigo must have hit the conference button, "There is extensive flooding, telephone lines down and electricity is out in most parts of the city."

"How did you guys weathered it?"

You could hear everyone giggle at my worry. Myomi answered me first, "We did fine, Thisbe-chan, although it does feel like Kone-chan invited every stray cat in Tokyo to stay with us."

"I named this cat Luna," I heard Kone faintly, "because of the crescent moon on her forehead."

A bell went off in my head but I decided it could wait, "Number Two, checkout the damage to the building and the surrounding area, make sure the electric motor in the basement has plenty of fuel. I'll get home as soon as possible."

"God's speed! See you later and look out for the Fuzz!" Those goodbyes came out of the receiver before I put the cellphone away.

The ride back to Tokyo was slow, damage from Ursula left roads covered with debris and emergency vehicles were all over the place along with firemen and police, so I took my time. During this time I carefully thought through what had happened during this case and came up with some conclusions:

Tokyo and the rest of humanity weren't out of the woods yet. The Sailor Senshi was still fighting battles for us, just not as visible as the earlier ones.

Sailor Mercury was a vampire, Eternal Sailor Moon looked even more angelic than before and Sailor Venus wasn't in the mix anymore, taking her place was the wild Sailor V, who acted like a rogue agent. It was clear Sailor Jupiter didn't like the idea of Sailor Venus bailing out on them and Sailor Mercury had mixed feelings about it too. Only Sailor Moon's trust of her friend kept things barely in check.

Supernatural things were afoot. I always considered the Sailor Senshi and their opponents as some kind of mystical science and this case reinforced my opinion. Vampires, werewolves, body snatchers and things-that-go-bump-in-night seemed to be on the menu for the time being.

Titan Detective Agency could end up in the middle of whatever was going on with the Sailor Senshi. I was already connected to Kino Makoto and Ami's mother before this case and both links had remained dormant until now. Would those links become inactive again once the case was closed or were my associates and me end up in the middle of a war?

After several police checkpoints and blocked off streets I made it to the secret garage for my bike and I made my way up the stairs. Yajue opened the door with the rest almost knocking me off my feet when they group-hugged me.

"Okay-okay, I'm alive," I laughed at their bright faces, and then I caught the smell of homemade ramen, "I hope you left some for me, I've got a hole in my stomach." That got me a lot of strange looks from them, "I'm joking, really."

"We were very worried about you, Thisbe-chan," Torami frowned at me while the rest escorted me to a table with a huge bowl of steaming ramen, a ladle and several smaller bowls.

I cleared a chair of cats so I could sit, which was when I noticed the bandage on Torami's neck, "How you feel, Torami-chan?"

Torami shrugged, "I had worse hickeys from dates." I decided to ask Yajue to keep an eye on Torami, just in case someone else thought of Torami as a mobile blood bank.

"So we are in cleanup mode?" Yajue asked as she took a bowl, filled it with ramen and handed it to me.

"Correct," I took the bowl and picked up some chopsticks, "We are going to need to reunite Osaka-san with her mother."

"That's going to be raw, Boss," Suzue went dramatic. "Hey, lady, your daughter is a catgirl, just remember to refill her hairball medication."

I slurped down some noodles before saying, "Number Two, call Osaka-san and see if we can get her to our safe house."

"What should I tell her?" Yajue was giving Suzue a nasty look.

"Tell Osaka-san that her daughter has a problem only a mother can solve," I instructed.

After drinking down the ramen broth and bringing the bowl from my face, I saw the black cat in Myomi's arms, her eyes never leaving me, "So, Myomi-chan, is this the cat you named Luna."

"Hai," our resident shrine maiden nodded, "I could feel the mark on her forehead."

"There's another cat around here, a white one, with the same mark," Suzue called out as she looked at the various stray cats that were at our feet.

"Oh, where?" Myomi's blind eyes brighten as she turned toward Kanyo.

"I'll find it," Torami spoke up while looking at the faces of the white cats.

The black cat shifted her attention to the Gemini Twins but I decided to test out the idea, "Myomi-chan, is Luna male or female?"

"Female," I grinned at the way both of Luna's ears turned in my direction.

I finished my ramen and sat up, saying, "I'm going to make a phone call to Tsukino Usagi, see if she wants to be there to help her friend." As I strode pass Myomi, I stopped and turned to her, "Myomi-chan, I feel like having a cat to pet."

The purple-haired girl grinned at me, "Here!" she held Luna up to me.

"Thanks," I took the black cat and I turned to leave. As I passed Yajue at her desk, cellphone in her hand, she gave me a strange look. Normally I don't allow cats into my office, so I silently mouthed the word, 'Spy.'

Understanding was in Yajue's eyes but then her attention focused on her cellphone, "Hello, Osaka-san, this is Titan Detective Agency. We have good news about your daughter."

I was taking a chance. It was possible that I was taking the manga too literal. This case showed to me some of it was true while others parts of it were fabrications. It also made a lot of sense to me, if you are going to do a little spying, even on a friend, the best way is to not look like you are spying and right now, one or two more cats in our private quarters wouldn't make any difference. I held her with my left arm underneath her body while my right hand gently scratched her behind the ears. I had to keep myself from laughing at how she was trying to purr, it sounded like a rusty chainsaw. When I opened the door to my private office, my gaze found a white cat perched on the sofa under the painting where my wall safe was located. I closed the door behind me and my smile grew a little when Luna's purring jumped a note at the sight of the other cat. I placed the black cat next to the white cat and I pulled up a chair so I could sit across from them.

"You know as well as I do that the Tsukino's telephone is out, don't you?" I let a note of humor into my voice.

"Meow," the white cat looked at black cat with I-told-you-so in his amber eyes.

"I know Ami-san is Sailor Mercury as I know Makoto-san is Sailor Jupiter," both cats bolt to their feet, staring at me like I grew a second head, "as well as what has happened to Sailor Venus."

The two cats exchanged looks for a long time, maybe they were telepathic or it could have been the twitching of the ear and the flick of a whisker, I don't know but I decided to add a tidbit, "The Deathbusters' lab was destroyed." Only when they faced me and both began to glow a bluish light that I knew I wasn't losing it.

All conscious thought in my head fled when I saw Luna's human form., I didn't realize I leaned forward in the chair, my right hand taking a lock of her curly black hair. The feel of it running through my fingers was so unearthly and it framed perfectly the crescent moon upon her light pink forehead. The low growl to my left pulled me out of my stupor, "I'm . . . I'm sorry," I pulled my hand back and leaned back in my chair. Only then did I noticed Luna was dressed in a bright yellow dress, a matching ribbon around her neck and gold crescent amulet hung from a chain just above her full breasts.

I looked at the source of the growl and found my eyes lock on a gorgeous man, whose long white hair matched the length of Luna's hair, his shirt and pants shimmered with moonlight. I took a guess at the name, "Artemis."

The white-haired man bowed his head slowly and turned my attention to Luna, once more my mind went mushy and the only I could say was, "You're . . . you're beautiful."

The blush on Luna's cheeks only made her look even lovelier in my eyes, but the moment was spoiled by Artemis mutter, "Don't spoil her, she already has a big ego."

"Artemis..." Luna turned and boxed his face like lovers do and the shared expression on their faces show warmth.

"Besides I don't see why you complained about me making a scene over Luna-chan here," I decided to get into the act, "after all you sleep with a pretty blonde."

My words produce the opposite effect I intended. Artemis dropped his eyes, pain in his gaze spread to Luna's blue orbs, his words matched the sorrow, "I . . . I . . . we had a fight awhile ago . . . I sleep in the living room . . . now."

"Her resignation as Sailor Venus and the rebirth of Sailor V," I stated.

Artemis nodded, "I told Mi . . . I told her she was deserting Sailor Moon . . . and neither one of us would back down."

"It's not entirely your fault, Artemis," Luna's hands reached and took hold of Artemis' clasped hands, "I pushed you to confront her."

"But I let it get out-of-control," Artemis' amber eyes turn to Luna's aqua orbs, "I should have realized how broken up inside she was."

"We forgot just how much our charges are young girls," I saw the guilt in Luna's features, "under their dedication is still the unspoken wish for a normal life."

"But Sailor Venus reverted back to Sailor V," I pointed out.

"Only because she couldn't bring herself to abandon her friends completely," Artemis looked at me, "she still loves her fellow Sailor Senshi but it is the duty she couldn't handle anymore."

Those words.

Weren't they like the words I spoke to Grandpa three years ago, when I decided to leave the Army? They were my comrades and I saw them die, leaving me alone with strangers. I love my friends but I couldn't stand the duty. Before I knew it I spoke, "To sacrifice friendship upon the altar of duty, to sacrifice love to the fire of victory, where do we stop when the pain becomes too much?"

Both Luna and Artemis looked at me, comprehension in both of their eyes and then they smiled at me, the understanding they showed was something I expected, their toothy smiles wasn't, "Ehh . . . did I say something funny?"

"No," Artemis shook his head, his amber eyes full of mirth.

I could see Luna forcing the smile from her face, "So you are going to have Osaka-san meet her daughter at your safe house?"

"Yes," then a thought came to me and I stood up, went to my desk and pulled out a pen and a post'em pad, "Do you think you could take a message to Tsukino Usagi?"

"Sure!" Artemis grin widened. "After all, Usagi-chan is a friend of Sailor Moon."

"Artemis!" Luna waked Artemis hard enough for his head bounce away from her blow.

Now it was my turn to grin, "Don't worry, I'm no snitch."

Artemis looked like he agreed with me but Luna continue to give me a sober expression, "What about your associates?"

"We're detectives," I wrote down the address of the safe house, "but we're also a band of sisters."

A thoughtful look filled Luna's enchanting face. She knew what my words meant and the look from Artemis told me he did too. I hit the intercom button and asked, "Number Two, did you get hold of Osaka-san?"

"Yes, I made the meeting for six o'clock tonight," Yajue replied.

"How did she sound?"

"Relieved and demanding, she wanted her daughter now," Yajue sounded envious of Naru, "I was barely able to put her off until this evening."

"Good," it promised good tidings to me, I walked over and gave Luna the note, "Tell Tsukino-san to be there at 5:30, I want her to keep Naru-san from clawing the couch."

I could imagine Luna's ears going flat while Artemis covered his mouth to keep from laughing at Luna's repartee, "I had better not see a collar on Naru-chan's neck, neither I nor Sailor Moon would be happy about that piece of jewelry."

I grinned but knew a motherly warning when I heard one, "Naru-san will be ready to meet her mother, with Usagi-san's help."

"Then we better get going," Artemis suggested and both of them stood. Some people say clothes make the man but right now in my eyes, they only added a veil to the breathtaking beauty I saw before me.

What happened next shocked me, why did it happen I don't know, maybe it was because my face held a mesmerized look or it was a reward for not failing their trust, whatever caused it I only know I found Luna putting her hands on my shoulders and using them to pull herself up on her toes so she could kiss my lower jaw, the only part of my face she could reach. I was sure Artemis' eyes were as big as mine, the only thing Luna said as she took the white-haired man arm was, "Thank you for helping my charges."

"It's what they pay me to do," I discovered I still had a tongue.

Luna smiled and pulled a totally confused Artemis toward the door. I turned and watched the door open by Yajue. At first she was puzzled by the twin confusion on Artemis' part and mine own before she grinned hugely at the cat-who-ate-the-canary expression on Luna's face. She bowed to the departing guests before she turned to me and asked, "I only heard what you exchanged between yourself and our 'visitors' but something else happened, something expressed without words."

I touched the place where she kissed me, asking myself, "I wonder if she knows I'm not a guy?"

"Who?" Ashimi poked her red-haired head around Yajue and I could almost smell the waif of jealousy coming from her.

"Nothing, Ashimi-chan," I shook my head to get my mind back on the case. "Number Two, call the Gemini twins and tell them I'm coming over."

"Do you need any help?" Nae joined the two at the door.

"No, Naru-san is already twisted up inside," I headed out of my office, "she will only feel shame if anyone else sees what she's become."

The trio nodded, "Your call, Thisbe-chan," Ashimi said.

I was out the door and in ten minutes I was back on Old Glory.

Azabu-Juuban, Tokyo

Old Glory was parked in the driveway of the whitewashed two-story house that doubled as our safe house. I sat on the wood steps of the front porch, my mind forcing my eyes on what my hands were doing, playing Sailor V on my Gameboy. The Gemini Twins were taking care of Naru inside and the shamed look she gave me when I first entered, told me she wasn't ready to accept my presence. So I sat here, using mental junk food like Sherlock Holmes used his seven-percent cocaine and Philip Marlowe used his bottle of scotch. I didn't break my concentration when I heard footsteps nor when someone sat down on my right, it wasn't until I cleared level twelve and I took a deep breath did the person talk, "You going need to build up her points on the next level so she can use her compact against the boss monster."

I looked to my right and found Usagi there with Luna in her lap, I actually expected someone from my gang to be there and I said so, "I didn't hear the bus go by."

The blonde's baby blues twinkled and she said, "I live only a few houses from here, so does Naru-chan." She gave me a looked puzzled look, "Why did you send Luna to give me the address to this place, I've already been here?"

I smiled at her because she knew I recognized her, "For some reason I'm having a hard time connecting a name to you and your fellow soldiers, unless I see them transform to their secret identities."

"It's a kind of disguise spell," I was still startled when Luna spoke, "it keeps foes and strangers from knowing the Sailor Senshi's secret identities. Constant exposure to it does allow some to be immune to its effects."

"Like parents and boyfriends," Usagi frowned and nodded her head. "Is that why Naru-san . . ." once more the spell began to cloud my mind, . . . knew you were . . . Hell."

"Yes," I couldn't miss the worry in her voice, "after all, she and her mother were the first ones I saved from the Dark Kingdom jerks."

"Usagi-chan, a princess must use proper language whenever possible," Luna admonished her.

"I've heard you call them worse, Luna," glared down at the black cat.

"You can go right in, Usagi-san," I nodded toward the door, "Naru-san is waiting for you."

Usagi stood, holding Luna in her arms, took a couple of steps up but stopped when I didn't follow, "Aren't you coming with me?"

"I make Naru-san nervous," I kept my eyes focused on her face so I wouldn't glimpse of her panties that her black miniskirt was giving me, "Besides the Twins are inside and they will let me know if you need a white knight."

"I already got one of those," I noticed Usagi had a pretty smile, "but I could use a Royal Investigator."

"I hope a nice big paycheck comes with the job," I countered, "I've got several mouths to feed."

"How did you end up adopting so many teens?" curiosity was in Usagi's voice.

"You could say they adopted me, some are from a teen gang who decided I would make a good leader while the others were strays I found while working," I looked at my watch and I added, "You better get inside and get Naru-san ready, her mother will be here soon."

Usagi bowed to me as did Luna and went inside.

I went back to my game, expecting the next person to come would be Osaka-san but instead someone cleared his or her throat just behind me. I looked and found Artemis in his cat form, a pink envelope at his feet, his blue eyes serious, "Here is the rest of your fee, Rogers-san, plus a bonus."

A simple nod came from me as I picked up the envelope and slipped it into my inside coat pocket, saying at the same time, "Artemis, just out curiosity, how does a male cat end up with a female name?"

Artemis' eyes narrow but he countered, "One could ask the same thing of you, Rogers Thisbe-san."

"Touché," I smiled before going back to my game, saying without looking, "Say hello to Sailor V for me, okay?"

"I will, Rogers-san," I didn't hear him leave but I didn't check.

It must have been about twenty minutes later before I heard a car pull up, a car door open and close followed by the sound of high heels on concrete. Immediately I saved my game, put the device away, stood and bowed to the middle-aged woman with hair the same color as her daughters. "Good evening, Osaka Nashiyo, I hope you didn't have any trouble finding this place."

"No," Nashiyo looked at me with suspicion. "I presume you are Rogers Thisbe of the Titan Detective Agency."

I nodded and turned slightly toward the front door, waving her to come with me, "Your daughter is waiting inside with Tsukino Usagi."

Tension flowed out of Nashiyo and her steely expression softened, without saying anymore she moved by me after I opened the door. We took off our shoes and I led her to the living room. The twins stood beside a loveseat where Usagi sat with Naru, Luna sat on the arm next to the blonde. Everyone in the room saw the younger redhead shrink into her friend's embrace, her body in a tasteful sky blue blouse and skirt combo, her face covered by an enormous pair of sunglasses. The mother didn't miss her daughter's reaction to her entrance, her face showed surprise as she took a step toward her daughter, but stopped when Naru whimpered, "No, Mama."

"Naru-chan," with good intensions Usagi used both her hands to gently push her friend to sit straight. The young redhead looked at her friend and found a confident smile.

"Naru, you've been missing for three days," Nashiyo's caring voice drew Naru's attention back to her, "What happened?"

"I'm . . ." Naru reached up with both hands and her head drooped as she took the sunglasses off, "I'm not the same Naru, Mama," when her head came up, I heard Nashiyo gasp at the same thing I saw, the slit irises of cat eyes in her daughter's face.

I kept my place behind Nashiyo as the twins remained where they were, the three of us acting as silent witnesses. It was several seconds before I heard the older redhead speak, "When I reached the hospital, Mizuno-sensei told me you ran from the hospital, suffering from some kind of chemical imbalance."

It wasn't hard for me to see the tears pool in Naru's emerald eyes, "When Umino-chan . . ." her voice choking, "when he raped me . . . it made me into this . . ." with her right hand she reached between herself and Usagi, pulling out a furry red tail.

More seconds tick off the cloak and from my angle I couldn't tell how Nashiyo was taking the news of her daughter's transformation in a catgirl. She was standing stack still, as if her body betrayed any emotion it was shock.

"Rogers-san, what time is it?"

I felt like an anime character who face-faulted, it wasn't what I expected from Nashiyo, "Eh . . ." I looked at my watch, "it's six-twenty, Osaka-san."

"Thank you," Nashiyo gave me a slight nod before she held out her right hand, "I think we should go home, Naru, we have much to talk about before we go to bed."

Disbelief, it was plain on Naru's face, two tears rolling down her cheeks, "Mama?"

"Don't you want to be my daughter anymore?" Nashiyo held out a second hand.

"YES! OH, Yes!" Nashiyo was knocked backwards when Naru flung herself into her mother's embrace, only my hands kept both of them from falling to the floor.

"Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes-yes," Naru continued to say as mother and daughter embraced. I like the others forgot sunset was now or we wouldn't be caught by surprise when the air tingled with ethereal energy, a rumbling purr coming from the girl.

I looked down to find Naru a catgirl once more but that didn't stop Nashiyo from running her left hand through her daughter's hair. The mother looked up at me and asked, "Could we stay here the night, Rogers-san?"

"It would be a pleasure, Osaka-san," I looked over at the twins. "Kanyo-chan and Sanyo-chan, could you help them?"

"Yes, Boss," answered Kanyo and Sanyo in unison.

This left me with Usagi and Luna. We stood there in the hallway as the Gemini Twins took Nashiyo and Naru to one of the many bedrooms our safe house contained. As the foursome disappeared from my sight, I said, "That went much better than I thought it would."

"Indeed," Luna was in Usagi's arms, "although I'm a little surprise how quickly Osaka-san accepted her daughter's new look."

Usagi's baby blues widen at the black cat's words, "Maybe it has something to do with what Naru-chan told me a couple of months ago."

Luna looked up at the blonde, "What do you mean, Usagi-chan?"

"Well, Naru-chan was told by her great-grandmother that they were descendents of hirayanu," a sliver of fear in Usagi's tone.

"Hirayanu?" Luna questioned, I didn't recognized the word either.

"Chinese cat demons," now the girl looked positively scared.

"And when were you going to tell me?" Luna was using Usagi's crossed arms so she could look at the girl eyeball-to-eyeball.

"Eh . . . now," I bite my lip to keep from laughing, here was the fuku-suited heroine cowering before an enraged puss.

"Usagi, don't you realize we could have helped your friend better if you told us?" I had a feeling that this little chat between the two was going over old ground.

"Ack . . . Sorry!" Usagi tossed Luna away from her, grab her shoes and I was surprised she took the time to open the door.

"Come back here, Usagi!" I finally let it out, I laughed as I followed the two out of the safe house, watching five-pounds of furry chasing after hundred-plus shrieking teen.

I was standing on the walkway, watching the chase of the century and giggling up a storm when I heard a voice I recognized in a New York minute, "Would you like to let me in on the joke, Thisbe-chan?"

"Aino-san!" I turned around and was greeted by the most dazzling smile I ever saw on a woman's face. Her lips were glossy baby pink, her cheeks a light blush painted on and her eyeliner along with her full eyelashes gave her sparkling blue orbs the perfect look. I kept my cool even while sticking my hand out, "How's my favorite idol singer doing?"

"How many time do I have to tell you not to be so formal with me," the blonde with her trademark red ribbon in her hair, giving me a pout, "Aino-san indeed."

I chuckled, just as she wanted me to do, "So Minako-san, does the war paint mean you're working today?"

Minako gave me a frown before she reached up, her long fingers barely touching my face, squeezing my cheeks in, "Now repeat after me . . . hello, M-chan, can I be in your next picture. I hear they need a hunk to play your boyfriend?"

A belly laugh from me at the mischief-making look she gave me, but I resisted the impulse to clasp her fingers and kiss their tips. Aino Minako was my friend, my very first friend on this island, ever since that night in the alley, and although we never were close, mostly because I didn't want her to think of me as a freak, I kept an eye on her as she made her way through the world of an idol singer. I knew she had friends in school so I wasn't worried about that part but her parents were the type who shouldn't have children, they were too caught up in their own worlds to be bothered by what was happening to their only child.

All I did was stand there, smiling down at her, saying, "You didn't answer my question, M-chan?"

"Yeah-yeah," Minako took a step back, "they had me doing charity work all day, you know, passing out pillows and blankets to storm victims, helping little old ladies to the bathroom," this last part she wrinkled her little nose.

"No rest for the wicked or the sainted," I put my hands in my pocket, not really sure where to go with this conversation, I noticed she was wearing a white jumpsuit with several domino masks embroidered upon it in red-white-and-blue rhinestones.

"How about you, Thisbe-chan," she tilted her head to one side, "rescue any more damsels in distress?"

"No, not really," I shook my head but I kept my smile, "I did help a couple of girls in fuku uniforms with a problem they had but nothing more."

It was strange, I was sure there was flicker of disappointment on Minako's face but before I could ask what was wrong, she said, "You probably know I doing another Sailor V movie and we really do need someone to play my love interest."

"Oh, no," I waved my hands at the blonde, "I'm perfectly happy with what I do, M-chan, I have absolutely no aspirations of being an actor, a singer or anything else besides being a PI. "Besides isn't Furuya Tohru playing that role?"

"Fur-sama is getting long in the tooth and he's been acting like he owns me," Minako stared at me, putting all her willpower into it. When I shook my head she huffed at me and complained, "Why don't you, Thisbe-chan, with your pecks you would be a natural?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "It not my style, M-chan, I deal with hard truths and soulless people, you deal with illusions and smooth talking agents." Still seeing a little hope there, I added, "Besides someone needs to take out the garbage."

Minako opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again only to close it again. Finally she threw her arms up in the air while walking in a circle, "Why can't you see I'm trying to pay you back for what you've done for me?"

But was it just a payment of obligation Minako was making to me? The seriousness of the words were there but the look she gave me, the soul revealing plea in her eyes, was there something else there, something I fear would tatter our friendship? I opened my mouth but the ring of my cellphone stopped me. Minako heard it too and we shared a look before I pulled it out and answered, "Hello, Rogers Thisbe here."

"I see the hurricane wasn't tough enough to blow you away."

"Grandpa!" the clouds lifted from my spirit before I decided to tease back, "And they are called typhoons here."

"I know," I heard him chuckle as he added, "So how's my big girl doing?"

"I'm fine, Grandpa," I couldn't stop smiling. "Is Tony still complaining about wearing your costume?"

"It's down to a low rumble," I felt so good to hear his voice. "He still thinks one should wear more than a jockstrap when fighting the bad guys."

The mention of our family's profession brought me into a new thought, "Grandpa, do you think you could help a friend of mine?"

"Oh, who?" I could tell just from his tone he was already half-convinced, I only ask for his help whenever a blue moon appears.

"It's something I'm not familiar with but your stories seem to suggest to me you might know about it." I looked around me at that moment, to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation. It was then I saw Minako walking away from me, "Grandpa, can you hold on for a minute?"

"Sure."

I waved over my head with my left hand, shouting, "HEY, M-CHAN!"

Minako turned around and looked at me. The distance between us prevented me from telling what she was thinking.

"HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU, KID!"

I know it's corny and a borrowed line from Grandpa's favorite movie, but I wanted at that moment to let Minako know I did care about what she was trying to do, even if I couldn't accept it right now.

What I got was what I wanted for Minako smiled at me, threw me a kiss and walked on.

(End of Full Moon Fever)


End file.
